The influence of collaborative learning games within different devices on student’s learning performance and behaviours

Abstract

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of using multi-touch tabletop collaborative game (MTCG) as a collaborative learning platform, in which multiple students can play games using a digital surface. The learning performance of participants is also explored, along with their related behaviours and their experiences. Consisting of 49 Taipei elementary school fifth graders ranging from 11 to 12 years old, the study participants came from two classes taught by the same teacher. The class assigned as the experimental group used large multi-touch tabletops, while the other class assigned as the control group used personal computers. Analysis results indicated that the experimental group more significantly improved in learning performance and retention than the control group did. Moreover, learning behaviour results of the participants further indicated that the experimental group achieved a better behaviour transfer and more meaningful cyclical learning patterns than the control group did. Importantly, by bridging the gap between digital game-based learning and collaborative learning, this study provides evidence of novel and engaging experiences when using a multi-player, multi-modal tabletop display.