TY - GEN
T1 - Gameplay Performance as a Predictor of Adaptive Expertise in Primary School Students
AU - Rocha, Mariana
AU - Dondio, Pierpaolo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - The present study explores the potential of gameplay performance to predict gains in adaptive expertise among primary school students. More specifically, this research evaluates adaptive number knowledge (ANK), an ability to understand whole-number relations and apply this knowledge flexibly to solve new problems. Our study involved 130 primary school students playing the digital game “Seven Spells”, which focuses on arithmetic operations and numeric tables. Students’ ANK skills were assessed through a pen-and-paper timed task before and after playing the game for six weeks. Three gameplay performance metrics were collected: the highest level achieved in a multi-player mode, the highest score in single-player mode, and the leaderboard position in single-player mode. Linear regression analysis revealed that the progress against virtual opponents significantly predicted various improvements in ANK skills. Conversely, higher leaderboard positions in the single-player mode were unexpectedly correlated with some reduced ANK gains, likely due to a lack of engagement in this game mode. Student feedback indicated a preference for multiplayer mode, which may have fostered higher engagement and skill development. Our contribution suggests games can support adaptive expertise development and highlights the importance of identifying specific game design features for learning.
AB - The present study explores the potential of gameplay performance to predict gains in adaptive expertise among primary school students. More specifically, this research evaluates adaptive number knowledge (ANK), an ability to understand whole-number relations and apply this knowledge flexibly to solve new problems. Our study involved 130 primary school students playing the digital game “Seven Spells”, which focuses on arithmetic operations and numeric tables. Students’ ANK skills were assessed through a pen-and-paper timed task before and after playing the game for six weeks. Three gameplay performance metrics were collected: the highest level achieved in a multi-player mode, the highest score in single-player mode, and the leaderboard position in single-player mode. Linear regression analysis revealed that the progress against virtual opponents significantly predicted various improvements in ANK skills. Conversely, higher leaderboard positions in the single-player mode were unexpectedly correlated with some reduced ANK gains, likely due to a lack of engagement in this game mode. Student feedback indicated a preference for multiplayer mode, which may have fostered higher engagement and skill development. Our contribution suggests games can support adaptive expertise development and highlights the importance of identifying specific game design features for learning.
KW - Adaptive Expertise
KW - Adaptive Number Knowledge
KW - Maths games
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85214113042
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-78269-5_2
DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-78269-5_2
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85214113042
SN - 9783031782688
T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
SP - 14
EP - 24
BT - Games and Learning Alliance - 13th International Conference, GALA 2024, Proceedings
A2 - Schönbohm, Avo
A2 - Bellotti, Francesco
A2 - Bucchiarone, Antonio
A2 - de Rosa, Francesca
A2 - Ninaus, Manuel
A2 - Wang, Alf
A2 - Wanick, Vanissa
A2 - Dondio, Pierpaolo
PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
T2 - 13th International Conference on Games and Learning Alliance, GALA 2024
Y2 - 20 November 2024 through 22 November 2024
ER -