Investigating Student Interest and Engagement in Game-Based Learning Environments

As a cognitive and affective state, interest promotes engagement, facilitates self-regulated learning, and is positively associated with learning outcomes. Research has shown that interest interacts with prior knowledge, but few studies have investigated these issues in the context of adaptive game-based learning environments. Using three subscales from the User Engagement Scale, we examine data from middle school students (N = 77) who interacted with Crystal Island in their regular science class to explore the relationship between interest, knowledge, and learning. We found that interest is significantly related to performance (both knowledge assessment and game completion), suggesting that students with high interest are likely to perform better academically, but also be more engaged in the in-game objectives. These findings have implications both for designers who seek to identify students with lower interest and for those who hope to create adaptive supports.