Comparing Voluntary and Mandatory Gameplay
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v3i3.133Keywords:
serious games · effectiveness · learning effect · mandatory playAbstract
Gameplay is commonly considered to be a voluntary activity. Game designers generally believe that voluntary gameplay is essentially different from mandatory gameplay. Such a belief may be a challenge for serious games, as instruction is usually mandatory. The article describes the outcomes of two experiments on the impact of voluntariness on the learning effect and enjoyment of a serious game. In the first experiment freedom of choosing to play a serious game was studied, with participants who had volunteered to participate. The results suggested that, contrary to the opinion of many game designers, being required to play a serious game does not automatically take the fun out of the game. The second experiment had voluntary participants and mandatory participants, who had to participate as part of a homework assignment. The outcomes show that mandatory participants enjoyed the game as much as the voluntary participants, even if they had to play the game for a minimum required time. These studies indicate that mandatory gameplay does not reduce enjoyment and learning effect.
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[3] Wouters, P., Van Nimwegen, C., Van Oostendorp, H., Van Der Spek, E.: Meta-Analysis of the Cognitive and Motivational Effects of Serious Games. Journal of Educational Psychology 105(2), 249-265 (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0031311
[4] Heeter, C., Lee, Y., Magerko, B., Medler, B.: Impacts of Forced Serious Game Play on Vulnerable Subgroups. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations 3(3), 34-53 (2011). http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/jgcms.2011070103
[5] Mollick, E., Rothbard, N.: Mandatory Fun: Consent, Gamification and the Impact of Games at Work. The Wharton School Research Paper Series (2014).
[6] Susi, T., Johanneson, M., Backlund, P.: Serious Games - An overview. Technical Paper, University of Skövde, Skövde (2007).
[7] Djaouti, D., Alvarez, J., Jessel, J., Rampnoux, O.: Origins of Serious Games. In Ma, M., Oikonomou, A., Jain, L. (eds.): Serious Games and Edutainment Applications. Springer-Verlag, London (2011) 25-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2161-9_3
[8] Abt, C.: Serious Games. Viking Press, New York (1970).
[9] Sawyer, B., Rajeski, D.: Serious Games: Improving Public Policy through Game-Based Learning and Simulation. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington D.C. (2002).
[10] Salen, K., Zimmerman, E.: Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press, Cambridge (2004).
[11] McGonigal, J.: Reality Is Broken. Penguin Press, New York (2011).
[12] Huizinga, J.: Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture. Beacon Press, Boston (1955).
[13] Caillois, R.: Man, Play and Games. University of Illinois Press, Champaign (1961).
[14] Garris, R., Ahlers, R., Driskell, J.: Games, Motivation, and Learning: a Research and Practice Model. Simulation & Gaming 33(4), 441-467 (2002). http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1046878102238607
[15] Prensky, M.: Computer Games and Learning: Digital Game-Based Learning. In Raessens, J., Goldstein, J. (eds.): Handbook of Computer Game Studies. MIT Press, Cambridge (2005) 97-122.
[16] Breuer, J., Bente, G.: Why So Serious? On the Relation of Serious Games and Learning. Eludamos, Journal for Computer Game Culture 4(1), 7-24 (2010)
[17] Cain, J., Piascik, P.: Are Serious Games a Good Strategy for Pharmacy Education? American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 79(4), Article 47 (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.5688/ajpe79447
[18] Fulton, S., Schweitzer, D.: Impact of Giving Students a Choice of Homework Assignments in an Introductory Computer Science Class. International Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 5(1), Article 20 (2011). http://dx.doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2011.050120
[19] Becker, K.: How Much Choice is Too Much? Inroads 38(4), 78-82 (2006). http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1189136.1189176
[20] Gauthier, A., Corrin, M., Jenkinson, J.: Exploring the Influence of Game Design on Learning and Voluntary Use in an Online Vascular Anatomy Study Aid. Computers & Education 87, 24-34 (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.03.017
[21] Kuindersma, E. C., Van der Pal, J., Van den Herik, H. J., Plaat, A.: Voluntary Play in Serious Games. Paper presented at the GaLA Conference, Rome (2015).
[22] Hernon, P., Whitman, J. R.: Delivering Satisfaction and Service Quality: a Customer-Based Approach for Libraries. American Library Association, Chicago, IL (2001).
[23] Coelho, P., Esteves, S.: The Choice Between a Five-Point and a Ten-Point Scale in the Framework of Customer Satisfaction Measurement. International Journal of Market Research 49(3), 313-339 (2007).
[24] Ryan, R. M.: Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of cognitive evaluation theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 43, 450-461 (1982). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.43.3.450
[25] Selfdeterminationtheory.org: Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) Scale Description. Retrieved on March 22, 2016 from http://selfdeterminationtheory.org
/intrinsic-motivation-inventory/.
[26] Vroom, V. H.: Work and motivation. Wiley, New York (1964).
[27] Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., Ryan, R. M.: A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological bulletin 125(6), 627 (1999). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.6.627
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Published
2016-09-23
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GaLA Conf 2015 special issue
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How to Cite
Comparing Voluntary and Mandatory Gameplay. (2016). International Journal of Serious Games, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v3i3.133
