The Incorporation of Inquiry-based Learning into Digital Game: A Pilot Study on Gender and Learning Style Differences in Students’ Perceptions

Abstract

With the profitable and advancement of using technology in learning, digital game-based learning is one of effective tools to support and enhance students' learning performance and to promote students' learning attitudes. It is very important to integrate the teaching and learning process into the digital game-based learning environment for encouraging knowledge construction. Inquiry-based learning approach has been recognized as an excellent teaching strategy to engage students in constructing knowledge and to make learning more meaningful. This paper has proposed a digital game-based learning by incorporating with inquiry-based learning approach. In this vein, this paper addresses what gender and learning style differences in playing and learning the digital game are by investigating gender and learning style differences in perceptions toward the game, such as perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitudes towards digital game use, and behavioral intention to use digital game. A pilot study has been conducted on a Thai primary school in general science course. The results from 79 students indicate that the promised digital game can decrease the difference between male and female and between visual and verbal learners' perceptions, reasonably. This suggests a need to develop the digital game that can provide the opportunities for interaction on game screen and with peers.