The Role of Trait Cognitive Flexibility on Game‐Based Learning: A Media‐Comparison Study

ABSTRACT Background Previous media comparison research has often compared learning from instructional games with learning from traditional media. However, there is a limited exploration into how the learner's cognitive traits, particularly cognitive flexibility, influence learning outcomes across different media. Objectives This study aims to investigate the impact of cognitive flexibility on learning outcomes when using two distinct instructional media: an instructional game and a slideshow lesson. Methods A total of 142 undergraduate students participated in this study, engaging in a 1.5‐h session focusing on epidemiology. They were randomly assigned to either the instructional game Crystal Island or a slideshow lesson covering the same content. Their trait cognitive flexibility and learning outcomes were evaluated through post‐questionnaires and posttests. Results and Conclusions The study found that students with higher cognitive flexibility scored better on transfer tests. Additionally, the slides group outperformed the game group. Interestingly, no significant interaction was observed between cognitive flexibility and the assigned learning medium. Overall, this study replicated some findings from previous media comparison studies and highlighted the need to further explore cognitive flexibility as a key individual trait in multimedia learning.