Behavioral and neurocognitive evaluation of a web-platform for game-based learning of orthography and numeracy

Abstract

Recent years have seen a considerable increase in informal educational environments complementing formal educational settings such as schools. In this chapter, we will report results on the efficacy of a web-platform for game-based learning of orthography and numeracy. Besides the behavioral assessment of the platform, we focused specifically on neurocognitive changes due to training on the platform. These neurocognitive data are particularly informative to understand how game-based learning leads to performance improvements, and also might help us to develop new instructional designs. Our web-based platform hosts several learning games, aiming at fostering orthography and numeracy skills. Learning games enable individual learning independent from formal learning environments-anytime and anywhere. Behavioral results revealed promising learning effects, particularly for orthography. In the next step, neurocognitive changes during arithmetic learning were assessed. Results indicated that arithmetic learning in our informal environment led to strategy changes, previously reported for the development of arithmetic competencies in formal learning settings for both adults and children. Altogether, the findings suggest that improvements in orthography and numeracy can be achieved in joyful and less stressful informational environments such as our web-platform for game-based learning. We suggest that the additional implementation of adaptivity in such learning games to better meet individual needs should further increase obtained training effects in the future. Instructional implications of these findings and the relevance of neurocognitive data for learning are discussed.