The Design of Scaffolding in Game-Based Learning

A Formative Evaluation

OverviewInstructional games seem to be too restricted or allow for too much free play.

Purpose of this study is to find the balance between too much support and not enough support.

Cates and Bruce Scaffolding Model

Questionnaire

DemographicsGender: Half male/half femaleAge: Predominately 11-12Grade: 6 and 7Race: Half Hispanic, the other half evenly split between [Black (3), Multi-racial (2), Native American (1), White (1), None of the above (2), Decline to comment (1)]

Computer UsageMajority of students use the computer less than five hours per week.

Almost all students have a computer in their house but are evenly split between needing permission or being able to use it whenever they want.

Learning StylesMajority of students favor Math and Science in school.

Majority of students learn best when they hear it or read it.

Most students learn best from teachers, with the Internet being the second highest rated option.

When asked what they do when something doesn’t work, most either take it apart or ask an adult.

My RulerMaker and CodeRuler

1 Castle

Makes peasants and

knights

10 Peasants

Claim and work the land

10 Knights

Capture enemy

characters

Code Ruler Characters

What is the object of the game?The object of the game is to capture your computer opponent’s castle.

You get points for capturing enemy characters such as knights, peasants, and castles.

You also get credit for land that is your color.

You will get points for the characters you still have.

https://om.cable.comcast.com/cwfhttps://om.cable.comcast.com/cwf

My RulerMaker

https://om.cable.comcast.com/cwfhttps://om.cable.comcast.com/cwf

Pseudocode

https://om.cable.comcast.com/cwfhttps://om.cable.comcast.com/cwf

Eclipse

https://om.cable.comcast.com/cwfhttps://om.cable.comcast.com/cwf

CodeRuler

Questionnaire

AttentionHighest attention average rating overall and in individual assessments:

Intrusive/Prescriptive

All other groups, near 3-3.3 (sort of true).

RelevanceHighest attention average rating overall and in individual assessments.Intrusive/Prescriptive

All other groups, all medians near 2.5-3.5 (sort of true).

ConfidenceHighest attention average rating overall and in individual assessments:

Non-Intrusive/ Prescriptive

Intrusive/Prescriptive

All other groups, all medians near 2.7-3 (sort of true).

Prescriptive groups were the least frustrated.

SatisfactionHighest satisfaction average rating overall and in individual assessments:

Non-Intrusive/ Prescriptive

Intrusive/Prescriptive

All other groups, including Prescriptive, all medians near 2.6-3.3 (sort of true).

ScaffoldingHighest scaffolding average rating overall and in individual assessments:

Non-Intrusive/ Prescriptive

Intrusive/Prescriptive

Scaffolding (Continued)Almost all groups agreed they felt it was just a little bit true that “The coaches in the room gave me too much help… I wanted to figure out more of it on my own.” Only the Non-Prescriptive groups disagreed.

Findings

FrustrationThe frustration levels were lower for the Prescriptive groups than the Non-Prescriptive groups.

Time on TaskMost of the Prescriptive groups were less likely to be off task than the Non-Prescriptive groups.

FindingsFindings indicate the students preferred intrusive and prescriptive scaffolding.

However, frustration and lack of understanding denote a need for additional scaffolding.