Commercial computer games are known for creating social environments and cult followings surrounding the gameplay, the character attributes, and player’s abilities; this is where affective learning occurs. Garris et al., (2002) describes affective learning as including “feelings of confidence, self-efficacy, attitudes, preferences, and dispositions” (p.457). Our model not only shows how player ability and experience affects the challenge element and the level of learning (ZPD), but also how the level of cognitive challenge can be appropriate for the learner’s current abilities. It shows the inclusion of instructional design and game characteristics as critical elements of a game or role-play to enable the achievement of the learning outcomes, as well as the additional factor of player abilities. Game-Based Learning occurs in a recursive loop and as such when the player skills are acquired, or incremented, the player moves on to the next level of the game. This is true for both educational and commercial recreational games and role-plays. The scaffolded level of skill requirement is what creates the immersion and the desire to play the game. If the game or role-play is done in a group, inputs such as player abilities are multiplied and hence so are the learning outcomes generated from the social environment.
Garris, R., Ahlers, R., & Driskell, J. E. (2002). Games, motivation, and learning: A research and practice. model. Simulation & Gaming, 33(4), 441-467.
Kearney, P. & Pivec, M. (2007). Recursive loops of game-based learning. In Montgomerie C., & Seale. (Eds.). Proc. of ED-MEDIA’07, Vancouver BC, Canada, 2007, pp. 2546 – 2553.