How Do We Support a Future for Adaptive Game-Based Learning Solutions?
Sarah Regli
Selected Case (Published Article):
Bang, H. J., Li, L., & Flynn, K. (2022). Efficacy of an adaptive game-based math learning app to support personalized learning and improve early elementary school students’ learning. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01332-3
1. Introduction
Throughout history, the introduction of a new technology invites exploration of how it may promote growth within various sectors of society. Promotion of the new technology reveals the need to show evidence of the technology having the impact optimists claim it will have before stakeholders support it. With the global pandemic forcing a transition to online formats, teachers had to adjust their approaches to teaching in a digital format, garnering more support and interest for digital tools to help K-12 learners.
Post-pandemic, the interest in adaptive game-based learning solutions have increased as a way to support classroom learning. In digital adaptive game-based learning solutions, algorithms have been designed to support a broader scope of learners and learning needs by being designed to adapt to learner needs. Studies show that the adaptability component to adaptive game-based learning solutions positively impact learners’ performance and engagement with the material. (Chiotaki, Poulopoulos, & Karpouzis, 2023) While games have always been used to promote learning, not all game-based learning solutions are pedagogically sound.
2. Overview of the Case
Many young learners come into elementary school with different levels of prior knowledge. In the study, Efficacy of an Adaptive Game-Based Math Learning App to Support Personalized Learning and Improve Early Elementary School Students’ Learning (Bang, Li, & Flynn, 2022) researchers recognize that familiarity with technology and math skills correlates with students success in STEM fields later in life. The study was done to see if an adaptive game-based learning application could support current classroom learning and help more elementary school students meet math learning objectives despite coming into the classroom at different levels.
Within the study, researchers sought out to investigate if the learning application My Math Academy could improve learning outcomes of kindergarten-2nd grade students, as well as see if the program was valued by teachers and could easily be used as a tool to support instruction. The classes were taken from 11 high need schools located in Southern California, with 452 students in the treatment group and 434 students in the control group. The study was done within a 12–14-week time frame between February – June of 2019. There were no strong differentials between the instructors to believe that it would impact the outcome of the study.
There are two major challenges the study aimed at addressing. First, the study cites evidence that young learners who are behind in math skills show lack of preparedness and academic success with future STEM careers. In addition to this, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds often show knowledge gaps in math compared to their peers. A teacher with a classroom of students starting at a variety of levels of math proficiency could benefit from a tool that supports young learners by adapting to the individual learner’s needs. The researchers wanted to see if a tool like My Math Academy could be a solution to this learning need.
3. Solutions Implemented
My Math Academy is a game-based learning application designed with an algorithm that adapts to the learner’s current skills and is based on Bloom’s Mastering Theory. (Bang, Li, & Flynn, 2022) It gives the learners the time they need to master a set of math principles before moving them to the next level and provides clear instructions along the way. The program is able to adapt to each student’s proximal zone of development, offering an individualized learning experience.
The game is accessible to the kindergarten – 2nd graders on their tablets, with a simple user interface easy enough for a child to navigate. The students in the treatment group would use My Math Academy for a minimum of 60 minutes per week to supplement their current curriculum. The control group may use other supplemental materials, but did not use the application. There was a pre-assessment and post assessment given to students to see how the groups compared between using and not using My Math Academy.
4. Outcomes
The learners in the treatment group significantly outperformed the control group. (Bang, Li, & Flynn, 2022) It is worth noting that some of the classrooms in the treatment group used additional supplemental learning materials when they were asked not to do so. There was stronger improvement in math capabilities in the kindergarteners than in the 2nd grade classrooms, with some of the kindergarteners leveling up to 2nd grade math level games. Many of the teachers noted that higher motivation and even excitement from students when learning.
Because it adapted to the proximal zone of development, it provided an opportunity for students who were currently behind in the material the ability to develop and refine their skills while also providing more advanced students the opportunity to expand their skills beyond where they currently were in the curriculum.
For the secondary goal of the study, teachers were able to integrate the program into their classrooms quite seamlessly and found the application easy to use. One aspect of the program they appreciated was that students could navigate the learning themselves. This gives them more flexibility and makes My Math Academy a practical solution within a classroom setting. They noted that the students were very engaged in the content and were able to persist through more difficult material.
5. Implications
While the implications of this study show how adaptive game-based learning can provide a vehicle for learning that supports the individual needs of learners, (Bang, Li, & Flynn, 2022) this study shows how it can be helpful as a supplement to traditional learning, not as a standalone solution. That is not to limit the future of adaptive game-based solutions, but an acknowledgement of a limitation of the study. It is also worth noting that the design and development of this game was pedagogically sound and provided the individualized experience and guidance needed for the learners. Not all educational games are well designed and many of them are not adaptive to the learner’s needs or provide sufficient instruction and feedback within the game.
Many people may read articles like this and think that more adaptive game-based learning solutions should be invested in for young learners. There is much evidence including this study, it’s important to recognize that all learning solutions need a proper analysis of the learners and given circumstances to see if an adaptive game-based learning solution would even meet the desired learning outcomes. Instructional designers need to be a part of the entire process of these types of solutions to make sure that the learning solutions that are being developed actually have the impact that teachers, school boards, and legislators are led to believe they can. Without this structure, “learning games” may be released that are not true learning solutions, resulting in diminishing support for investing well designed adaptive game-based learning solutions.
References
Bang, H. J., Li, L., & Flynn, K. (2022). Efficacy of an adaptive game-based math learning app to support personalized learning and improve early elementary school students’ learning. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01332-3
Chiotaki, D., Poulopoulos, V., & Karpouzis, K. (2023). Adaptive game-based learning in education: A systematic review. Frontiers in Computer Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2023.1062350