The Games in E Learning Improve the Performance

Students are more spontaneous in e-learning classes than in traditional brick-and-mortar classes. They usually have their own ways of learning that are effective for them but may not be expected by the teacher. Web-based learning games would appear to have particular appeal to the "net generation" of learners who have grown up playing computer games. In order to explore the learner's engagement, this study conducted an experiment with three games in two mass sections of an e-learning course. The subjects were 120 undergraduate students. The games were designed with different learning goals, challenges, problem structure, curriculum content, and rewards. Measurements included frequency, average time spent, and subjective ratings based on the students' interest. Findings indicated that challenge and reward are both positive motivation in encouraging the learner's engagement. Excitement generated from the game will relate to the subjective rating on interest. But challenges are more critical than enjoyment in encouraging repeated play in a learning game. Since web-based learning games are at an early stage of development, the findings provide important insight and raise implications for instructors about the use of online games to support student learning.