Opportunities and risks for game-inspired design of adaptive instructional systems

Abstract

The application of game elements within learning environments takes many forms, including serious games, interactive virtual environments, and the application of game mechanics within non-gaming contexts. Given the breadth of strategies for implementation game-elements into instructional systems, it is important to recognize that each strategy carries its own potential benefits and risks. The purpose of the current paper is to review the relevant interdisciplinary literature regarding the application of games and game-elements to learning contexts, and identify the factors to consider when developing a game-inspired instructional system. Secondly, the current discussion considers the special case of game technology and game design elements in intelligent tutoring, and identifies future research opportunities to meaningfully integrate such features in adaptive tutoring systems.