Games+Learning+Society 10 Conference

Discussant: James Gambrell

Crossing the Bridge: Connecting Game-Based Implicit Science Learning to the Classroom
Elizabeth Rowe, Jodi Asbell-Clarke, Erin Bardar, Emily Kasman, Barbara MacEachern
Games offer a unique opportunity to promote and study implicit learning that could be foundational for further STEM learning. This paper reports on preliminary results from a national classroom implementation study. In this study, 42 teachers were assigned to the Bridge (classroom activities and game play), Games (game play only), or Control group. The game, Impulse, immerses players in the physical laws of Newtonian motion. Hierarchical linear modeling of data from the first 14 teachers to complete the study shows a significant positive effect of the Bridge group compared to the Control group on student’s post-assessment scores after accounting for pre-assessment scores. This Group effect, however, was significantly moderated by whether more than half of the students enrolled in the class completed the study (strong vs. weak cohort). This initial finding supports our conjecture that Impulse can help prepare some students for improved science learning in class.

No hands needed: Investigating the affordances of using a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) as a game controller and its potential effect on learning and user experience
Selen Turkay, Maria Hwang, Pantiphar Chantes, Dan Hoffman, Charles Kinzer, Ahram Choi, Shuyi Hsu
Recently, Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have attracted attention in the educational gaming field, but research with such devices is sparse. This study used the Emotiv EPOC BCI neuroheadset to investigate the affordances of using BCI as a game controller and its potential effect on learning and positive player experiences, with a view to providing implications for designing educational games. The study showed that the Emotiv interface helped participants learn abstract symbols and their associated English meanings as well as those who did not use the headset. Additionally, the BCI shows promising potential as fun and engagement were consistently higher throughout the game. Educational game designers can consider the potential of BCIs and how they can take advantage of increased engagement towards better learning.

Effects of the systematic playing of a mindfulness game on attentional processes
Elena Patsenka