ERIC Number: EJ1432030
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Aug
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0266-4909
EISSN: EISSN-1365-2729
Mindfulness in a Digital Math Learning Game: Insights from Two Randomized Controlled Trials
Eniko Orsolya Bereczki; Zsofia K. Takacs; J. Elizabeth Richey; Huy A. Nguyen; Michael Mogessie; Bruce M. McLaren
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, v40 n4 p1567-1590 2024
Background: Mindfulness practices enhance executive function skills and academic achievement, spurring interest in integrating mindfulness interventions into education. Embedding mindfulness practice into a digital math game may provide a low-cost, scalable way to induce mindfulness and boost game-based learning, yet this approach remains unexplored. Objectives: We investigated the learning benefits of integrating mindfulness exercises in a digital math learning game and examined how students' trait mindfulness might moderate the outcomes. Methods: Two classroom studies were conducted with 404 5th and 6th grade students from six public schools in the U.S. (n[subscript Study 1] = 227, n[subscript Study 2] = 177). The two randomized controlled experiments assigned students to one of the three conditions: passive control (playing the digital learning game "Decimal Point"), story-enriched active control, or mindfulness-enriched condition. Trait mindfulness, learning gains, and in-game problem-solving (including problem-solving duration, error count and correctness after reminder) were assessed. Study 2 included a manipulation check to better understand the effects of the mindfulness intervention. Results: Findings showed no significant differences in learning gains, problem-solving duration or error count among the conditions. Students' trait mindfulness did not moderate these outcomes. Mindfulness reminders in the mindfulness-enriched game led to more correct answers after errors than jokes in the story-enriched game. Study 2 revealed that we failed to induce higher state mindfulness through the mindfulness inductions. Conclusions: Mindfulness prompts could be especially beneficial for students experiencing frustration during gameplay, warranting more exploration for digital game-based instruction. We highlight barriers and future directions for fostering mindfulness through computer-based instruction in classrooms.
Descriptors: Metacognition, Educational Games, Video Games, Game Based Learning, Integrated Activities, Elementary School Mathematics, Middle School Mathematics, Grade 5, Grade 6, Mathematics Instruction, Public Schools, Problem Solving, Prompting, Educational Technology, Computers, Technology Uses in Education
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Grade 6
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1661121
Data File: URL: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2102/10.17605/OSF.IO/RZEC9