The instructional effects of customization features in child learning games have rarely been examined. This value-added study addresses the existing gap with regards to user-initiated cosmetic customization of environment elements (i.e., non-avatar customization). Participants (N = 143; M[subscript age] = 9.41) studied a biological topic for about…

Little is known about the instructional effects of narrative framing elements in child learning games. In this study, second and third graders (M[subscript age] = 8.24) played one of two versions of a successful, commercial mathematical learning game at home for 2 weeks (N = 95; between-subject design). The versions differed in the…

We explored whether problem-solving interactivity within an instructional game fosters learning for children aged 8-10 years. Participants (N=139) studied a biological topic either through a game-based learning environment (in which they solved assigned problems by interacting with a plant model) or from a standard learning environment (in which…

This study investigates a video game's effects on implicit and explicit attitudes towards depicted historical events in the short- and long-term on a sample of 148 young adults. We used, as an intervention tool, a serious game "Czechoslovakia 38-89: Borderlands" that deals with the expulsion of the Sudeten Germans from the former…

The present study investigates affective-motivational, attention, and learning effects of unexplored emotional design manipulation: "Contextual animation" (animation of contextual elements) in multimedia learning game (MLGs) for children. Participants (N = 134; M[subscript age] = 9.25; Grades 3 and 4) learned either from an experimental…

Despite the increased interest in gamification approaches, there is a lack of comparative studies that shed light on the applicability of these approaches in educational contexts. In this explorative study, with an experimental design, university learners (N = 98) studied a complex process (i.e., how to brew beer) in a 2-hour-long computerized…

Game-based learning is supposed to motivate learners. However, to what degree does motivation driven by interest in playing an instructional game affect learning outcomes compared to motivation driven by interest in the very learning process? This is not known. In this study with a unique design and intervention, young adults (N = 128; a…

Little is known about what design elements in digital learning games enhance learning; especially in the case of child audiences. This study examines the effects of a learning game's visual design on perceived attractiveness and learning outcomes. We developed two visual designs for the game: one with supposedly high esthetic value and another…

Despite the alleged ability of digital game-based learning (DGBL) to foster positive affect and in turn improve learning, the link between affectivity and learning has not been sufficiently investigated in this field. Regarding learning from team-based games with competitive elements, even less is known about the relationship between…

Curricular schooling can benefit from the usage of educational computer games, but it is difficult to integrate them in the formal schooling system. Here, we investigate one possible approach to this integration, which capitalizes on using a micro-game that can be played with a teacher's guidance as a supplement after a traditional expository…