Designing and Evaluating an Affective Information Literacy Game

Students today, having been used to Google and YouTube since birth, demand more interactive and innovative teaching methods, such as digital game-based learning. The ability to respond to a user’s affective states also improves the effectiveness of an online learning environment. My PhD research delves into the possible synergy when both concepts are combined in the form of digital game-based learning involving affective embodied agents.
This seminar discusses the research methods and findings of the three studies conducted in my doctoral work, which aims to examine the influence of affective embodied agents on students’ learning motivation, enjoyment and learning efficacy in a digital information literacy (IL) game. In Study I, 285 tertiary students participated in a between-subjects experiment and found the use of affective embodied agent could provide better motivation and enjoyment for students. Participatory design approach was used in Study II to design an IL game prototype. Study III continues to refine the game design iteratively, where input from professional designers and programmers were gathered.