Impact of adult student time perspective on learning performance in online game based learning

• Autores: Mireia Usart Rodríguez
• Directores de la Tesis: Elena Barberà Gregori (dir. tes.), Margarida Romero Velasco (codir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya ( España ) en 2016
• Idioma: español
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Begoña Gros Salvat (presid.), Ana M. Fita (secret.), Zena R. Mello (voc.)
• Programa de doctorado: Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Educación y TIC (E-Learning)
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• Resumen

  • The use of game-based learning (GBL) methodologies is increasing in online higher education in general, and in business education in particular, despite the small amount of research that exists on the effectiveness of these methodologies. The little research that has been conducted has focused on evaluating game design, teacher adoption and technical factors such as connectivity, web-based solutions or multiplayer interaction platforms. An important benefit is that GBL could allow learners in general, and adult students in particular to take an active role in their learning process; however, students do not always engage in online higher education because of their preference, but because they have no other option. Although game researchers and developers are proposing the use of digital games for educational purposes, there is a lack of research on the pedagogical effectiveness of serious videogames and their adequacy for different learner profiles. In particular, we focus on temporal aspects such as time on task and student Time Perspective (TP), two variables that have previously been related to learning, only in final assessment models. With the confluence of an increasing use of online higher education, the push to use GBL in business undergraduate courses, and the lack of a large corpus of research on the effectiveness and adaptability of these methodologies, a clear need arises to do further research on the use of the GBL methodology, specifically in online adult business education. Based on existing literature revised during this PhD study, no other known study has conducted an analysis focusing on one single group of students participating in a GBL task implemented in an online course, and relating it to their temporal perspective; making this study unique.The first purpose of this research was to study the implementation of a GBL task in a continuous assessment online accounting course, in terms of learning performance and student engagement. The data sources were provided by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and by student interviews. A sample of 67 students was statistically analyzed to answer the quantitative research questions and hypotheses focused on the relationship between learning performance, student TP, and time spent in a GBL task, and also during a whole semester. A group of 5 students was interviewed to conduct the qualitative part of the study. The data provided by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) was analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests and the student interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results revealed a significant difference between the GBL task performance and course performance. The second aim was to analyze these results in the light of student TP. Cluster analysis showed three different groups, labeled as High fatalist and future (students with high scoring in both future and present fatalist scales of the Spanish ZTPI), balanced (students with high scores in future and present hedonism, but low in present fatalism), and an-hedonist (learners with low scoring in all ZTPI factors, especially for present hedonism). Kruskal-Wallis test revealed no significant relation of student TP and performance in the GBL task, but showed a tendency for balanced students to have a higher performance in the student course performance. Age and gender relation to TP is also discussed. The thematic analysis of the relationship between student TP, time management and performance both in the GBL task and course, indicated that students don’t have prior experience on online or GBL methodologies, but they have a preference for games in general, and GBL in particular.

    As a result of the originality of this study, which has focused on the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the implementation of a GBL task in an online setting taking into account students’ TP, the findings provide new information for the implementation of GBL tasks in online accounting courses.