IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/simgam/v51y2020i2p258-279.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pacing in Serious Games: Exploring the Effects of Presentation Speed on Cognitive Load, Engagement and Learning Gains

Author

Listed:
  • Dominik Petko
  • Regina Schmid
  • Andrea Cantieni

Abstract

Background. To determine the optimal speed of computer-paced serious games, the interplay of cognitive load variables and game engagement variables can serve as combined criteria. Intervention. In order to test the effects of higher or lower game speeds on different types of cognitive load and engagement , the FRESH FOOD RUNNER game was developed, which teaches the harvest seasons of different fruits and vegetables. Method. In this study, N=58 6 th grade primary school students are randomly assigned to play the serious game FRESH FOOD RUNNER at different speeds. Pre-and post-tests are used to assess learning gains, in combination with rating scales for different types of cognitive load and game engagement. Results. Results show that highest learning gains and lowest levels of extraneous cognitive load are prevalent at medium speed settings, which are neither too fast nor too slow. A similar pattern is apparent for student ratings of game engagement. Discussion and Conclusion. In consequence, learning gains, cognitive load and engagement variables can be regarded as suitable criteria to determine the optimal speed of serious games.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominik Petko & Regina Schmid & Andrea Cantieni, 2020. "Pacing in Serious Games: Exploring the Effects of Presentation Speed on Cognitive Load, Engagement and Learning Gains," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 51(2), pages 258-279, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:simgam:v:51:y:2020:i:2:p:258-279
    DOI: 10.1177/1046878120902502
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1046878120902502
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1046878120902502?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Heather L. O'Brien & Elaine G. Toms, 2008. "What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 59(6), pages 938-955, April.
    2. Nina Imlig-Iten & Dominik Petko, 2018. "Comparing Serious Games and Educational Simulations: Effects on Enjoyment, Deep Thinking, Interest and Cognitive Learning Gains," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 49(4), pages 401-422, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. J. Tuomas Harviainen, 2020. "Real, Half-Real, Irreal, Unreal," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 51(2), pages 111-113, April.
    2. Marieke de Wijse-van Heeswijk, 2021. "Ethics and the Simulation Facilitator: Taking your Professional Role Seriously," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 52(3), pages 312-332, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anna Borawska & Konrad Biercewicz & Mariusz Borawski & Jaroslaw Duda, 2021. "The Impact of Advertisements Placement in the Computer Game on the Effectiveness of Social Campaign Messages," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2B), pages 515-537.
    2. Daniel Steele & Edda Bild & Cynthia Tarlao & Catherine Guastavino, 2019. "Soundtracking the Public Space: Outcomes of the Musikiosk Soundscape Intervention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-38, May.
    3. Vien-Thong Nguyen & Philip Hallinger & Parinya Showanasai, 2024. "Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Leading Change for Sustainability in Schools Simulation: A Research and Development Project," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 55(1), pages 51-81, February.
    4. Mariani, Marcello M. & Hashemi, Novin & Wirtz, Jochen, 2023. "Artificial intelligence empowered conversational agents: A systematic literature review and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Nripesh Trivedi & Daniel Adomako Asamoah & Derek Doran, 2018. "Keep the conversations going: engagement-based customer segmentation on online social service platforms," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 239-257, April.
    6. Julia Troll & Ivo Blohm & Jan Marco Leimeister, 2019. "Why Incorporating a Platform-Intermediary can Increase Crowdsourcees’ Engagement," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 61(4), pages 433-450, August.
    7. Mariana Cernicova-Buca & Adina Palea, 2021. "An Appraisal of Communication Practices Demonstrated by Romanian District Public Health Authorities at the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, February.
    8. Afi Fouad El & Ouiddad Smail, 2021. "Consumer engagement in value co-creation within virtual video game communities," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 16(4), pages 370-386, December.
    9. Luca Longo, 2018. "Experienced mental workload, perception of usability, their interaction and impact on task performance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-36, August.
    10. Zixing Shen & Michael J. Pritchard, 2022. "Cognitive engagement on social media: A study of the effects of visual cueing in educational videos," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(9), pages 1253-1267, September.
    11. Shahbaznezhad, Hamidreza & Dolan, Rebecca & Rashidirad, Mona, 2021. "The Role of Social Media Content Format and Platform in Users' Engagement Behavior," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 47-65.
    12. Fang, Jiaming & Zhao, Zhirong & Wen, Chao & Wang, Ruping, 2017. "Design and performance attributes driving mobile travel application engagement," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 269-283.
    13. Jezdancher Watti & Máté Millner & Kata Siklósi & Hedvig Kiss & Oguz Kelemen & Dávid Pócs, 2022. "Smokers’ Engagement Behavior on Facebook: Verbalizing and Visual Expressing the Smoking Cessation Process," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-14, August.
    14. Lin Shi & Katharine J. Mach & Sangwon Suh & Adam Brandt, 2022. "Functionality‐based life cycle assessment framework: An information and communication technologies (ICT) product case study," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(3), pages 782-800, June.
    15. Wenrui Wang, 2023. "The Ways that Digital Technologies Inform Visitor's Engagement with Cultural Heritage Sites: Informal Learning in the Digital Era ," GATR Journals gjbssr628, Global Academy of Training and Research (GATR) Enterprise.
    16. Caitríona Ní Shé & Eabhnat Ní Fhloinn & Ciarán Mac an Bhaird, 2023. "Student Engagement with Technology-Enhanced Resources in Mathematics in Higher Education: A Review," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-34, February.
    17. Heather L. O'Brien, 2017. "Antecedents and learning outcomes of online news engagement," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 68(12), pages 2809-2820, December.
    18. Hwang, Angel Hsing-Chi & Oh, Jeeyun, 2020. "Interacting with background music engages E-Customers more: The impact of interactive music on consumer perception and behavioral intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    19. Bitrián, Paula & Buil, Isabel & Catalán, Sara, 2021. "Enhancing user engagement: The role of gamification in mobile apps," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 170-185.
    20. Yuheng Hu & Yili Hong, 2022. "SHEDR: An End-to-End Deep Neural Event Detection and Recommendation Framework for Hyperlocal News Using Social Media," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 34(2), pages 790-806, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:simgam:v:51:y:2020:i:2:p:258-279. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.