Effects of a Progressive Prompting-based Educational Game on Second Graders' Mathematics Learning Performance and Behavioral Patterns

Game-based learning (GBL) has been proven to be an attractive learning model by many studies; however, scholars have pointed out that the effectiveness of game-based learning could be limited if proper learning strategies are not incorporated. Prompting is a strategy that plays the important role of providing hints and guidance in interactive learning environments. Therefore, this study proposes a game-based learning approach with a progressive prompting strategy, using different levels of hints to guide students to complete tasks and achieve learning goals. Quasi-experimental research was employed in this study using two groups of students. The experimental group learned with the proposed approach, while the control group was allocated a conventional game-based learning strategy. The findings of the study show that the proposed approach significantly improved the second graders' mathematics learning achievement. From the analysis of the experimental students' learning behaviors, it was reported that the experimental group students could generate the answer after two progressive prompts. Thus, we could see that the proposed approach could enhance the learning achievement of the experimental group students by correctly guiding them to answer questions, step up their thinking, and understand the learning content in the learning process.