Effects of a Digital Game-Based Curriculum on Students’ Digital Rights and Responsibilities Literacy, Cognitive Absorption and Learning Anxiety

Digital rights and responsibilities education is a core component of digital citizenship in primary schools, yet existing approaches often prioritize rule transmission over behavioral internalization. This study examined the effects of integrating Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) into the final lesson of a digital rights and responsibilities curriculum. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 88 fifth-grade students during a four-lesson curriculum delivered over four weeks. Both groups received the same teacher-led instruction during the first three lessons. In the final lesson, Cyber Judge was incorporated into instruction for the experimental group (EG) as a game-supported learning activity, while the control group (CG) received conventional instruction on the same content. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA and t-tests, with Holm–Bonferroni adjustments applied for multiple comparisons. The EG showed higher adjusted post-test digital rights and responsibilities literacy, with significant differences in Rights Awareness and Responsibilities Behavior, and higher overall cognitive absorption, particularly in Temporal Separation. No significant between-group differences were found in learning anxiety. These findings highlight the potential of DGBL to connect ethical knowledge with situated decision-making while underscoring the importance of considering learners’ affective responses in the design of game-supported instruction.