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Micro‐persistence and difficulty in a game‐based learning environment for computational thinking acquisition
Author(s) -
IsraelFishelson Rotem,
Hershkovitz Ar
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of computer assisted learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.583
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2729
pISSN - 0266-4909
DOI - 10.1111/jcal.12527
Subject(s) - persistence (discontinuity) , learning analytics , task (project management) , computer science , aptitude , human–computer interaction , computational thinking , cognitive psychology , psychology , data science , artificial intelligence , developmental psychology , geotechnical engineering , management , engineering , economics
Persistence has been identified as a crucial quality of learning. However, it is hard to attain in online game‐based environments as the drive to progress in the game may influence the ability to achieve the learning goals. This study aimed to examine the associations between micro‐persistence, that is, the tendency to complete an individual task successfully, and task difficulty while acquiring computational thinking (CT). We further explored whether contextual or personal attributes better explain micro‐persistence. We analysed data of 111 school students who used the CodeMonkey platform. We took a learning analytics approach for analysing the platform's log files. We found that micro‐persistence is associated with task difficulty and that students who demonstrated an aptitude to learn new material are motivated to achieve the best solution. We also found that contextual variables better‐explained micro‐persistence than personal attributes. Encouraging micro‐persistence can improve CT acquisition and the learning processes involved.