Is it distracting? A further exploration of non-gameplay social interaction during collaborative digital game-based learning

Abstract Collaborative digital game-based learning (DGBL) in mathematics education is a well-researched area. While non-game-related social interaction (NGI) has often been viewed as a potential source of distraction to learning, it is an integral part of gameplay. Gaining deeper insight into NGI helps leverage the tension arising from the conflict between learning and gameplay when implementing DGBL and advances scholarly work on the impact of off-task interaction in collaborative learning more broadly. Using a qualitative case study of four students engaged in a collaborative DGBL activity, this study examined how NGI is associated with collaborative learning quality, as inferred from group level flow experiences. The findings indicate that, in the context of groups with pre-established basic positive collaborative relationships, NGI enhances learning quality by sustaining supportive epistemic and relational spaces through a mechanism in coordination of shared affective states.