Formative assessment in DGBL: a qualitative analysis of players perceptions of game-based feedback in complex scenario

Abstract

Formative assessment in Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) involves evaluating students' learning progress through interactions within a game environment. This study aimed to analyze players’ perceptions of game-based feedback during a DGBL intervention among university students. Utilizing a qualitative approach, data were gathered through learning analytics embedded in the game, an online survey and video recordings of the game sessions. The study engaged 11 university students enrolled in a private higher education institution in Mexico, analyzing the data through content analysis and descriptive statistics. The study identified several key findings: (a) the game provided four types of feedback: guided, diegetic, outcome, and static; (b) these feedback types are integrated with game mechanics, quizzes, minigames, and NPCs; (c) perceptions of content-related feedback efficacy varied, with 27.3% average, 54.5% good, and 18.2% excellent, while game-related feedback was rated 9.1% poor, 36.4%average, 45.5% good, and 9.1% excellent; (d) specific feedback types influenced players’ financial behaviors, such as investing and saving strategies. These findings have significant implications for educational communities and decisionmakers, highlighting the importance of effectively integrating feedback mechanisms in educational games to enhance learning outcomes and behavior modification.