Game-based learning can motivate learners and help them to acquire new knowledge in an active way. However, it is not always clear for learners how to learn effectively and efficiently within game-based learning environments. As metacognition comprises the knowledge and skills that learners employ to plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate their learning, it plays a key role in improving their learning in general. Thus, if we want learners to become better at learning through game-based learning, we need to investigate how metacognition can be integrated into the design of game-based learning environments.In this paper we introduce a framework that aids designers and researchers to formally specify the design of game-based learning environments encouraging metacognition. With a more formal specification of the metacognitive objectives and the way the training design and game design aims to achieve these goals, we can learn more through analysing and comparing different approaches. The framework consists of design dimensions regarding metacognitive outcomes, metacognitive training, and metacognitive game design. Each design dimension represents two opposing directions for the design of a game-based learning environment that are likely to affect the encouragement of metacognitive awareness within learners. As such, we introduce a formalised method to design, evaluate and compare games addressing metacognition, thus enabling both researchers and designers to create more effective games for learning in the future.
Most of scientific literature on computer games aimed at offering or aiding in psychotherapy has little information on how the game exactly relates to the relatively recent development of the ‘third wave’ of behavioural psychotherapy, which includes metacognition. This paper first introduces metacognition and subsequently studies five cases of psychotherapeutic games (Personal Investigator, Treasure Hunt, Ricky and the Spider, Moodbot and SuperBetter) by looking at them through the lens of Blooms’ Revised Taxonomy of Knowledge. The paper offers design recommendations for future (metacognitive) psychotherapeutic games.
Game-based learning (GBL) is an interactive form of training in which instructional elements are combined with motivational elements within one GBL-environment. Under the right circumstances, GBL can contribute to both learning and motivation. It is, however, unclear which elements in the design of GBL-environments can encourage effective and efficient learning. Metacognition is cognition about cognition: knowing about one’s own knowledge and applying that knowledge in practice. While research has found that learners can benefit from metacognitive support within learning environments, it is unclear how to encourage metacognition in GBL-environments to improve learning effectively and efficiently. In this paper, we present a qualitative review of metacognition within GBL. We discuss the objectives, interventions, and effects reported in studies that address metacognition in GBL-environments. The aim of this review is to inform educational designers, researchers, and other professionals who want to address metacognition in GBL, and the review concludes with concrete implications for design and research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
How do learners understand, monitor, and regulate their own learning? A question of metacognition. Improving metacognitive knowledge and skills contributes too learning effectiveness and effiency. The goal of this PhD project is to study in what ways metacognitive training can be supported and facilitated trhough game-based learning.
