Fun to Enhance Learning, Motivation, Self-efficacy, and Intention to Play in DGBL

Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) has been attracting increasing attention from researchers and educators, especially as related studies suggest it can enhance learning and positively affect students’ motivation, attitude, self-efficacy, and intention to play similar games. However, research into DGBL is not explicit about the role of fun in DGBL. In our study we hypothesized that the perceived fun while playing with an educational game has a positive impact on children’s measured- and perceived learning, motivation, attitude, self-efficacy and intention to play similar games. We conducted an online survey study with secondary school students (N = 28, mean age = 13.54) before and after playing with an online educational game on the topic of biology. The results indicate that the fun they experience while playing the game has a significant and positive effect on the perceived learning, the change in students’ motivation and self-efficacy, and the intention to play similar games. However, no significant effect was found on the measured learning and the change in attitude towards the subject. Our findings partially support the contention that making DGBL more fun improves learning. Future research should seek further empirical evidence in other topic areas and for different ages, and to explore how DGBL can help improve attitudes towards the topic as well.