The Impact of Game-Like Features on Learning from an Intelligent Tutoring System

Prior research has shown that students learn from Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS). However, students’ attention may drift or become disengaged with the task over extended amounts of instruction. To remedy this problem, researchers have examined the impact of game-like features (e.g., a narrative) in digital learning environments on motivation and learning. Some of this research has concluded that the game-like features decrease learning because the features take away resources from the primary task of learning subject-matter content. However, these experiments have involved short-term interventions of less than an hour. Two experiments using college students examined the impact of adding game-like features to the ITS AutoTutor in an intervention that lasted 4 h. In one study, a game-like version was compared to a text-only version and a “do nothing” control. In another study, a game-like version was compared to a nongame version that had similar interfaces. Unlike prior research that has shown that narratives decrease learning in digitally-based learning environments, the game-like features, which included a narrative, had little impact on learning from the ITS. Reasons for the discrepancies are discussed.