A collaborative game-based learning approach to improving students’ learning performance in science courses Han-Yu Sung a , Gwo-Jen Hwang b, * a Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan b Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43, Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan article info Article history: Received 26 May 2012 Received in revised form 14 November 2012 Accepted 29 November 2012 Keywords: Teaching/learning strategies Elementary education Cooperative/collaborative learning Interactive learning environments abstract In this study, a collaborative game-based learning environment is developed by integrating a grid-based Mindtool to facilitate the students to share and organize what they have learned during the game- playing process. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment has been con- ducted in an elementary school natural science course to examine the students’ performance in terms of their learning attitudes, learning motivation, self-efficacy and learning achievements. From the experi- mental results, it is found that the Mindtool-integrated collaborative educational game not only benefits the students in promoting their learning attitudes and learning motivation, but also improves their learning achievement and self-efficacy owing to the provision of the knowledge organizing and sharing facility embedded in the collaborative gaming environment. Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction In recent years, various issues of educational computer games have been widely discussed owing to the rapid advancement of computer and multimedia technologies (Hwang & Wu, 2012). Researchers have indicated that educational computer games could be an effective way of providing a more interesting learning environment for acquiring knowledge (Cagiltay, 2007; Papastergiou, 2009; Tüzün, Yılmaz-Soylu, Karakus, Inal, & Kızılkaya, 2009). Several studies have reported that educational computer games could enhance students’ learning interest and motivation (Burguillo, 2010; Dickey, 2011; Ebner & Holzinger, 2007; Harris & Reid, 2005; Liu & Chu, 2010). Hwang, Sung, Hung, Yang, and Huang (2012) further indicated that well-designed educational computer games might have great potential for improving the learning achievements of students. Although computer educational games seem to be a promising approach, researchers have pointed out that, without proper design, negative impacts of employing digital game-based learning approaches could occur, such as poor learning outcomes and increasing the players’ self-alienating behaviors (Hong, Cheng, Hwang, Lee, & Chang, 2009; Hwang, Sung, Hung, & Huang, 2012; Provenzo, 1992). Kickmeier-Rust and Albert (2010) indicated that one great challenge of developing educational computer games is to provide support and to guide the learners while keeping the balance between learning and gaming, and between challenge and individual learners’ abilities. The study of Charsky and Ressler (2011) further confirmed this point via conducting a learning activity using a computer game. Therefore, it is important to provide suitable learning support when employing computer games in education. Among various computer-supported learning tools, Mindtools have been recognized as being an effective tool for helping students interpret and organize their knowledge (Chu, Hwang, Tsai, & Tseng, 2010; Peng et al., 2009). Jonassen (2000) has indicated that Mindtools are computer applications that engage students in critical thinking about the content they are studying when used for representing knowledge. Hwang, Sung, Hung, Yang, et al. (2012) have further reported that grid-based Mindtools are suitable for helping students organize knowledge for identifying and differentiating a set of learning targets. In this study, a collaborative educational computer game is developed based on a grid-based Mindtool which aims to guide students to organize knowledge collaboratively for differentiating a set of target plants for the subject unit “Identifying the plants on the school campus” * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ886 915396558. E-mail addresses: hanyu.sung@gmail.com (H.-Y. Sung), gjhwang.academic@gmail.com, gjhwang@mail.ntust.edu.tw (G.-J. Hwang). Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Computers & Education journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/compedu 0360-1315/$ – see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.11.019 Computers & Education 63 (2013) 43–51