The Impacts of Gameplay Anonymity and Competition/Cooperation Mode on a Multiplayer Educational Game

Abstract

Learners as players may have different perceptions of educational games depending on contextual factors such as anonymity and competition/cooperation of gameplay. This study investigated the impacts of gameplay anonymity and competition/cooperation mode based on the multiplayer English vocabulary learning game VocaMono. A class of twenty six fourth grade elementary school students were recruited and exposed to four gameplay modes including anonymous/cooperation, non-anonymous/cooperation, anonymous/no cooperation, and non-anonymous/no cooperation. The results revealed the following findings. First, VocaMono is a well-designed digital game-based English vocabulary learning program with both high education and entertainment ingredients. Second, players tended to have higher enjoyment in anonymous modes. More players had the most willingness to recommend anonymous modes to others and had the most willingness to play anonymous modes again. Third, anonymous modes were more challenging. More players felt the most nervous and worried the most to lose in anonymous modes. Fourth, gameplay anonymity may increase the mental loading to implement both pedagogy and gameplay tasks on the game. Fifth, more players had the most intention to attack others in anonymous modes. Sixth, cooperation may reduce the gameplay anxiety and cognitive load. Seventh, players had lower goal commitment in cooperation modes. Finally, cooperation reduced players’ attack behavior.