Multimedia Design in Educational Game: Pretraining, Feedback and Segmenting Principles

Despite growing empirical support, limited research has examined how specific multimedia design principles influence both learning performance and affective experience (such as cognitive load and flow) in educational games. The question of how to establish a balance between learning and entertainment for games that have proven effective on learning success has still not been answered. In order to answer this question, within the scope of the research, four different versions of the same educational game were prepared based on the principles of pre-training, feedback and segmentation in multimedia design principles. Two knowledge tests, cognitive load and flow scales were used in this study, which was planned as a randomized experimental study with a pre-test post-test control group. In the study, which was carried out with the voluntary participation of seventh grade students studying at different campuses of a private school in Turkey. As a result, pre-training has a negative effect in terms of entertainment experience, it provides a statistically significant contribution in terms of learning performance. It has been concluded that knowledge-of-correct-response (KCR) feedback has a critical importance for learner success and different feedback designs such as progress bars support the learner experience in educational games. While the level system did not significantly influence intrinsic cognitive load, it significantly influenced flow experience.