The impact of GPT-powered video games on early adolescents’ academic achievement in distance learning environments

Abstract

The global transition to distance learning has otherwise curtailed the potential to provide impactful maths education to early teenagers, a low-motivation and low-conceptual understanding demographic in remote conditions. This research meets the pressing demand for disruptive, scalable solutions by assessing the effect of GPT-powered video games on maths achievement and motivation in 15–16-year-olds. The main aim was to know if the integration of generative AI into game-based learning environments would create adaptive feedback and enhance deeper learning. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 120 students from [BLINDED], divided equally into experimental and control groups, over an eight-week period. The experimental group played with GPT-upgraded versions of Minecraft: Education Edition and Prodigy Math Game, which provided real-time, precise feedback and contextual hints, while the control group participated in standard online instruction. The experimental group demonstrated large improvements in mathematics achievement, with effects sustained at follow-up. Motivation also increased more strongly than in the control group, and qualitative interviews confirmed that students perceived GPT feedback as clear and useful. These results show the real value of integrating AI-driven, adaptive feedback within educational games, supporting their application in distance mathematics curricula. The results also highlight the need for further studies on GPT-powered games across subjects, age groups, and broader educational outcomes such as critical thinking and conceptual mastery.