In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and ski... more In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and skill), engagement, and immersion on learning in game-based learning environments. The data was gathered through a survey from players (N ¼ 173) of two learning games (Quantum Spectre: N ¼ 134 and Spumone: N ¼ 40). The results show that engagement in the game has a clear positive effect on learning, however, we did not find a significant effect between immersion in the game and learning. Challenge of the game had a positive effect on learning both directly and via the increased engagement. Being skilled in the game did not affect learning directly but by increasing engagement in the game. Both the challenge of the game and being skilled in the game had a positive effect on both being engaged and immersed in the game. The challenge in the game was an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. For the design of educational games, the results suggest that the challenge of the game should be able to keep up with the learners growing abilities and learning in order to endorse continued learning in game-based learning environments.
One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completel... more One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completely redesigned. In the new numerical methods course, all assignments and learning experiences are built around a video/computer game. Students are given the task of writing computer programs to race a simulated car around a track. In doing so, students learn and implement numerical methods content. The paper describes a preliminary study to measure student engagement. Results show that students`playing' the video game in their homework are significantly more engaged than when working on homework in other engineering courses.
EXPERIENCES THAT ARE deeply engaging and enjoyable, engender full concentration, and present a ba... more EXPERIENCES THAT ARE deeply engaging and enjoyable, engender full concentration, and present a balance between challenge and skill propel or push development forward. 1 For the past twenty years, researchers have sought to locate environments in which this combination of effort, skill, interest, and enjoyment is more likely. In one study of white middle-class youth, for example, Larson compared adolescents' experiences at school, at home, and during structured voluntary activities (organized sports and community service, for example) and found that these settings differed markedly. 2 During classwork and homework, adolescents reported high levels of concentration and challenge but low levels of intrinsic motivation. While watching television and while hanging out with friends, students reported low concentration and effort but high intrinsic
Using the experience sampling method, this study examined two questions related to outcomes assoc... more Using the experience sampling method, this study examined two questions related to outcomes associated with after-school programming. First, does the quality of experience in after-school programs mediate the effect of program participation on social competence and academic performance? Second, among program participants, is the difference in quality of experience when in programs versus other settings after school related to higher social competence and academic performance? Middle school students (N = 196) attending eight programs in three Midwestern states reported a total of 4,970 randomly sampled experiences in and out of after-school programs during 1 week in the fall and spring of the 2001-2002 academic year. Engagement during after-school hours partially mediated the relationship between participation in after-school programs and social competence. In addition, relative perceptions of engagement, challenge, and importance when in after-school programs compared to elsewhere after school predicted higher English and math grades. Results suggest that the quality of experiences in after-school programs may be a more important factor than quantity of experiences (i.e., dosage) in predicting positive academic outcomes.
This chapter examines the relationship between engagement in high school math and science classes... more This chapter examines the relationship between engagement in high school math and science classes, later academic performance, and choice of college major. Quantitative analyses are complemented by case studies of college students who exhibited high or low engagement in high school.
Achievement, engagement, and students' quality of experience were compared by racial and ethnic g... more Achievement, engagement, and students' quality of experience were compared by racial and ethnic group in a sample of students (N = 586) drawn from 13 high schools with diverse ethnic and socioeconomic student populations. Using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), 3,529 samples of classroom experiences were analyzed along with self-reported grades. Similarities and differences in achievement, engagement, and quality of experience among white, black, Latino, and Asian students were examined. The most marked differences found were between black and white students. Consistent with several previous studies, an engagement-achievement paradox was found in which black students reported higher engagement, intrinsic motivation, and affect in classrooms, but lower GPA relative to white students. A similar engagementachievement paradox was found for students from low SES communities compared to those from high SES communities. Analyses also revealed racial and ethnic differences in the relationship of engagement with on-task behavior and contextual factors. Being on-task when in classrooms had a more positive effect on the engagement of black students relative to white students. The contextual effect of being in school versus home or in public on engagement was also more positive for black students than white students. Contextual factors and measurement issues are emphasized in the interpretation of findings and suggestions for future research.
Middle school students' experiences at afterschool programs were compared as they participated in... more Middle school students' experiences at afterschool programs were compared as they participated in different types of activities and with different social partners. The students (N = 165) attended eight programs in three Midwestern states. A total of 1,596 experiences were randomly sampled using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) during 1 week in the fall of 2001 and 1 week in the spring of 2002. Student engagement was conceptualized as the simultaneous experience of concentration, interest, and enjoyment. Students reported high levels of engagement while participating in sports activities and arts enrichment activities at the after-school programs, and low levels of engagement while completing homework at programs. They reported being more engaged in activities involving both adults and peers than activities with peers only. Concentrated effort, intrinsic motivation, and positive and negative mood states were also compared by program activities and social partners. Findings about participants' subjective experiences and engagement in specific program activities have implications for understanding after-school programs as a context for youth development.
EXPERIENCES THAT ARE deeply engaging and enjoyable, engender full concentration, and present a ba... more EXPERIENCES THAT ARE deeply engaging and enjoyable, engender full concentration, and present a balance between challenge and skill propel or push development forward. 1 For the past twenty years, researchers have sought to locate environments in which this combination of effort, skill, interest, and enjoyment is more likely. In one study of white middle-class youth, for example, Larson compared adolescents' experiences at school, at home, and during structured voluntary activities (organized sports and community service, for example) and found that these settings differed markedly. 2 During classwork and homework, adolescents reported high levels of concentration and challenge but low levels of intrinsic motivation. While watching television and while hanging out with friends, students reported low concentration and effort but high intrinsic
In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and ski... more In this paper, we investigate the impact of flow (operationalized as heightened challenge and skill), engagement, and immersion on learning in game-based learning environments. The data was gathered through a survey from players (N ¼ 173) of two learning games (Quantum Spectre: N ¼ 134 and Spumone: N ¼ 40). The results show that engagement in the game has a clear positive effect on learning, however, we did not find a significant effect between immersion in the game and learning. Challenge of the game had a positive effect on learning both directly and via the increased engagement. Being skilled in the game did not affect learning directly but by increasing engagement in the game. Both the challenge of the game and being skilled in the game had a positive effect on both being engaged and immersed in the game. The challenge in the game was an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. For the design of educational games, the results suggest that the challenge of the game should be able to keep up with the learners growing abilities and learning in order to endorse continued learning in game-based learning environments.
One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completel... more One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completely redesigned. In the new numerical methods course, all assignments and learning experiences are built around a video/computer game. Students are given the task of writing computer programs to race a simulated car around a track. In doing so, students learn and implement numerical methods content. The paper describes a preliminary study to measure student engagement. Results show that students`playing' the video game in their homework are significantly more engaged than when working on homework in other engineering courses.
EXPERIENCES THAT ARE deeply engaging and enjoyable, engender full concentration, and present a ba... more EXPERIENCES THAT ARE deeply engaging and enjoyable, engender full concentration, and present a balance between challenge and skill propel or push development forward. 1 For the past twenty years, researchers have sought to locate environments in which this combination of effort, skill, interest, and enjoyment is more likely. In one study of white middle-class youth, for example, Larson compared adolescents' experiences at school, at home, and during structured voluntary activities (organized sports and community service, for example) and found that these settings differed markedly. 2 During classwork and homework, adolescents reported high levels of concentration and challenge but low levels of intrinsic motivation. While watching television and while hanging out with friends, students reported low concentration and effort but high intrinsic
Using the experience sampling method, this study examined two questions related to outcomes assoc... more Using the experience sampling method, this study examined two questions related to outcomes associated with after-school programming. First, does the quality of experience in after-school programs mediate the effect of program participation on social competence and academic performance? Second, among program participants, is the difference in quality of experience when in programs versus other settings after school related to higher social competence and academic performance? Middle school students (N = 196) attending eight programs in three Midwestern states reported a total of 4,970 randomly sampled experiences in and out of after-school programs during 1 week in the fall and spring of the 2001-2002 academic year. Engagement during after-school hours partially mediated the relationship between participation in after-school programs and social competence. In addition, relative perceptions of engagement, challenge, and importance when in after-school programs compared to elsewhere after school predicted higher English and math grades. Results suggest that the quality of experiences in after-school programs may be a more important factor than quantity of experiences (i.e., dosage) in predicting positive academic outcomes.
This chapter examines the relationship between engagement in high school math and science classes... more This chapter examines the relationship between engagement in high school math and science classes, later academic performance, and choice of college major. Quantitative analyses are complemented by case studies of college students who exhibited high or low engagement in high school.
Achievement, engagement, and students' quality of experience were compared by racial and ethnic g... more Achievement, engagement, and students' quality of experience were compared by racial and ethnic group in a sample of students (N = 586) drawn from 13 high schools with diverse ethnic and socioeconomic student populations. Using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), 3,529 samples of classroom experiences were analyzed along with self-reported grades. Similarities and differences in achievement, engagement, and quality of experience among white, black, Latino, and Asian students were examined. The most marked differences found were between black and white students. Consistent with several previous studies, an engagement-achievement paradox was found in which black students reported higher engagement, intrinsic motivation, and affect in classrooms, but lower GPA relative to white students. A similar engagementachievement paradox was found for students from low SES communities compared to those from high SES communities. Analyses also revealed racial and ethnic differences in the relationship of engagement with on-task behavior and contextual factors. Being on-task when in classrooms had a more positive effect on the engagement of black students relative to white students. The contextual effect of being in school versus home or in public on engagement was also more positive for black students than white students. Contextual factors and measurement issues are emphasized in the interpretation of findings and suggestions for future research.
Middle school students' experiences at afterschool programs were compared as they participated in... more Middle school students' experiences at afterschool programs were compared as they participated in different types of activities and with different social partners. The students (N = 165) attended eight programs in three Midwestern states. A total of 1,596 experiences were randomly sampled using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) during 1 week in the fall of 2001 and 1 week in the spring of 2002. Student engagement was conceptualized as the simultaneous experience of concentration, interest, and enjoyment. Students reported high levels of engagement while participating in sports activities and arts enrichment activities at the after-school programs, and low levels of engagement while completing homework at programs. They reported being more engaged in activities involving both adults and peers than activities with peers only. Concentrated effort, intrinsic motivation, and positive and negative mood states were also compared by program activities and social partners. Findings about participants' subjective experiences and engagement in specific program activities have implications for understanding after-school programs as a context for youth development.
EXPERIENCES THAT ARE deeply engaging and enjoyable, engender full concentration, and present a ba... more EXPERIENCES THAT ARE deeply engaging and enjoyable, engender full concentration, and present a balance between challenge and skill propel or push development forward. 1 For the past twenty years, researchers have sought to locate environments in which this combination of effort, skill, interest, and enjoyment is more likely. In one study of white middle-class youth, for example, Larson compared adolescents' experiences at school, at home, and during structured voluntary activities (organized sports and community service, for example) and found that these settings differed markedly. 2 During classwork and homework, adolescents reported high levels of concentration and challenge but low levels of intrinsic motivation. While watching television and while hanging out with friends, students reported low concentration and effort but high intrinsic
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Papers by David Shernoff
gathered through a survey from players (N ¼ 173) of two learning games (Quantum Spectre: N ¼ 134 and Spumone: N ¼ 40). The results show that engagement in the game has a clear positive effect on learning, however, we did not find a significant effect between immersion in the game and learning. Challenge of the game had a positive effect on learning both directly and via the increased engagement. Being skilled in the game did not affect learning directly but by increasing engagement in the game. Both the challenge of the game and being skilled in the game had a positive effect on both being engaged and immersed in the game. The challenge in the game was an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. For the design of educational games, the results suggest that the challenge of the game should be able to keep up with the learners growing abilities and learning in order to endorse continued learning in game-based learning environments.
gathered through a survey from players (N ¼ 173) of two learning games (Quantum Spectre: N ¼ 134 and Spumone: N ¼ 40). The results show that engagement in the game has a clear positive effect on learning, however, we did not find a significant effect between immersion in the game and learning. Challenge of the game had a positive effect on learning both directly and via the increased engagement. Being skilled in the game did not affect learning directly but by increasing engagement in the game. Both the challenge of the game and being skilled in the game had a positive effect on both being engaged and immersed in the game. The challenge in the game was an especially strong predictor of learning outcomes. For the design of educational games, the results suggest that the challenge of the game should be able to keep up with the learners growing abilities and learning in order to endorse continued learning in game-based learning environments.