Digital game-based learning of information literacy: Effects of gameplay modes on university students’ learning performance, motivation, self-efficacy and flow experiences

In this sharing session, I will introduce a digital role-playing game for information literacy development and share my experience of implementing it for digital game-based learning in three gameplay modes (i.e., the solo mode, the collaborative mode, and the competitive mode). The evaluation results of the students’ learning performance, motivation, self-efficacy, and flow experiences indicated statistically significant effects of the gameplay modes on the four aspects. The solo mode was inferior to the other two in all four aspects. The collaborative mode significantly outperformed the competitive mode in enhancing learning performance and flow experience, while the competitive mode was significantly better in promoting self-efficacy. These two modes were similarly effective in the dimension of motivation. Based on the results, I suggest that students play games in the collaborative or competitive modes when conditions permit. I also advise teachers to increase students’ engagement in learning by adding collaborative and competitive elements in teaching and learning. Copyright © 2021 Technology-Enhanced Language Learning and Teaching. All rights reserved.