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Elements of Effective Video Game Design Puzzle Free Online Games

Edutainment vs. Educational Games

It is important to distinguish between educational and edutainment games prior to proceeding with a review focused on educational video game design. According to Denis and Jouvelot (2005), “The main characteristic that differentiates edutainment and video games is interactivity, because, the former being grounded on didactical and linear progressions, no place is left to wandering and alternatives” (p. 464). Puzzle Free Online Games

Edutainment games, then, are those which follow a skill and drill format in which players either practice repetitive skills or rehearse memorized facts. As such, “Edutainment often fails in transmitting non trivial (or previously assimilated) knowledge, calling again and again the same action patterns and not throwing the learning curve into relief” (Denis & Jouvelot, 2005, p. 464). In contrast, educational video games require strategizing, hypothesis testing, or problem-solving, usually with higher order thinking rather than rote memorization or simple comprehension. Characteristics of such games include a system of rewards and goals which motivate players, a narrative context which situates activity and establishes rules of engagement, learning content that is relevant to the narrative plot, and interactive cues that prompt learning and provide feedback.

Nevertheless, even skill and drill games that employ such characteristics have demonstrated gains in learning. Lee, Luchini, Michael, Norris, and Soloway (2004) found that a math facts game for second graders deployed on handheld computers encouraged learners to complete a greater number of problems at an increased degree of difficulty. Learners playing the handheld game completed nearly three times the number of problems in 19 days as those using paper worksheets. Learners using the handheld game also voluntarily increased the level of difficulty in the game as they continued to play.

Motivation

Several publications examine motivation in video games. However, not all researchers entirely agree on the source of this motivation. Some attribute the compelling nature of games to their narrative context (Dickey, 2005, 2006; Fisch, 2005; Waraich, 2004) while others find motivation is linked to goals and rewards within the game itself or intrinsic to the act of playing (Amory, Naicker, Vincent, & Adams, 1999; Denis & Jouvelot, 2005; Jennings, 2001). Nevertheless, all find that motivation to play is a significant characteristic of educational video games and that effective game design considers both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for play. Denis and Jouvelot (2005) distinguished between the two and their absence as follows: “Intrinsic motivation pushes us to act freely, on our own, for the sake of it; extrinsic motivation pulls us to act due to factors that are external to the activity itself, like reward or threat; amotivation denotes the absence of motivation.” (p. 462) These authors see motivation as the interplay between desire and pleasure—the desire to be competent and the pleasure one feels when one is. They argue that competence, autonomy, and relatedness are factors that affect motivation.

“Motivation also leads to the activation of efficient cognitive strategies for long-term memory issues like monitoring, elaborating or organizing information. On the opposite side, resignation and amotivation have negative results on memorization and personal development” (p. 463).

Amory, Naicker, Vincent, & Adams (1999) examined four different game types and analyzed elements that players liked most. In this study, students rated a number of game qualities including “the fun aspect, sounds and graphics, type of game, game story and use of technology”; “the importance of some skills [logic, memory, visualisation, and mathematics, reflexes, and problem solving]”; “whether the game was easy to play, addictive, too long, challenging, confusing, too difficult, illogical, difficult to play or manoeuvre and if their performance increased with continuous play” (p. 314). Adventure and strategy games were found to be the most stimulating and rated the highest, a finding which suggests that players preferred or were more motivated to play games with objectives requiring higher order thinking skills, including visualization strategies that nurture creative problem solving and decision-making. (p. 317).

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