THE MULTIPLAYER CLASSROOM – IS MULTIPLAYER MODE PRODUCING BETTER RESULTS THAN SINGLE MODE?

Abstract

The incorporation of interactive and game-based tools into education has garnered significant attention among educators, as evidenced by the increasing popularity of video gaming across diverse age groups. Concepts like 'serious games' and 'gamification' have been subjects of discussion in gaming communities, exploring their potential to transform education and complement traditional learning approaches. The primary goal of integrating gaming into education is to enhance student motivation and engagement, improve visual skills, and foster interaction and collaboration among peers. However, it's crucial for educational technology to align closely with the curriculum to effectively impact student achievement. Teachers face the challenge of integrating games into their curriculum in a manner that aligns with learning objectives and standards, necessitating careful planning, game selection, and integration into lesson plans to ensure that gaming experiences complement and reinforce classroom instruction. Despite the popularity of formative assessments through game-based solutions, there is a noticeable absence of a multiplayer classroom tool offering a wide range of gameplay mechanics and content integration for creative learning. Further research into the motivational aspects of the multiplayer approach, the influence of varied gameplay dynamics on learning outcomes, and a comparison of multiplayer versus single-game play versus traditional approaches are areas worth exploring. Our study introduces a novel multiplayer game-based platform (Multiplayer Team Training Platform or MTT) addressing the challenges of uniform gameplay, offering a variety of gameplay dynamics and automated tracking of student performance in both single and multiplayer modes. A comparison between traditional assessment and game-based assessment in similar settings was undertaken with different classes, subjects, and age groups, and a comparative study was conducted to analyse the results of both experiments. Detailed investigations and observations were made in comparing the results between single and multiplayer modes. The findings revealed a complex and context-dependent relationship between player types and success rates, varying across different games and experimental groups. Regarding student preferences, our data breakdown showed that 18% of students prefer single-mode play, 40% prefer multiplayer games, and 42% prefer both types of gameplay. This diversity highlights the need for adaptable approaches to accommodate various player preferences within the student population. The preference for games over traditional assessment and practicing indicated that students find games more engaging. Additionally, the inclination of extroverted students towards multiplayer modes suggested the positive impact of social interaction and competition on engagement and performance.