Exploring the Relationship Between Challenge and Reward for Game Based Learning

The aim of this research is to investigate how problem-solving challenges affect young people’s motivation for learning computer programming. It explores the relationship between difficulty and reward as part of a game-based learning application and evaluates the effectiveness of the ARCS learning model when teaching primary school children. Research in game-based learning is based, in part, on the study of the impact of games on students' learning motivation, engagement and outcomes. The ARCS model, developed by John Keller in 1987, is a widely recognized model for designing effective instruction that motivates and engages learners. The model is a cognitive psychology-based learning model that consists of four main elements: Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. A pilot study comprising primary school teachers was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the ARCS model. Two experiments were conducted: the first an experimental group based on the design of the game focussing on the player’s experience and evaluation of the difficulty and reward mechanisms. For this group, the game dynamically changes in terms of difficulty and rewards. This is achieved by adjusting the difficulty and rewards through a dynamic player score to maintain player attention, confidence, and satisfaction. The second experiment involved a control group, where the game adopts a traditional linear learning model where difficulty and reward are fixed. For both experiments, data was collected from a feedback questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to be closely aligned and mapped to the ARCS learning model’s four elements. The scores of the results were based on the Likert scale and t-test to determine the significance of the difference in scores between the experimental and control groups. Results based on data analysis of the user study show that the overall mean score of the experimental group is higher (= 4/5) compared to the control group (= 2.2/5) on all four ARCS elements. Further analysis shows that the most prominent teaching impact is on players’ satisfaction.