The Effect Of Visual And Auditory Emotional Design In Game-based Learning

With the development of technology and education,the application of new teaching models represented by digital game-based learning has become increasingly widespread.How to most effectively support learners in digital game-based learning has received widespread attention,with emotional design being a focus of attention.There is no doubt that emotional design plays an important role in traditional multimedia learning.Unlike traditional multimedia learning,game-based learning has both gaming and learning functions,and is highly interactive.Many researchers have emphasized the importance of emotional design in game-based learning.However,in game-based learning,the research on emotional design is still in its infancy,and there are still questions about the improvement of learning outcomes through emotional design.There are still few studies on the cognitive processes(such as cognitive load)that emotional design promotes learning outcomes.Therefore,this article explores the impact of visual and auditory emotional design through two experiments.Experiment 1 examined the impact of visual emotion design on learning outcomes in digital game-based learning.Using a single-factor inter-subject design,42 college students(12 male students)were randomly assigned to two conditions: positive visual emotion design(color)and neutral visual emotion design(gray).The results showed that positive visual emotion design significantly improved learners’ positive emotions,germane cognitive load,and learning retention performance compared to neutral visual emotion design.Further mediating effect analysis supports the mediating and chain mediating effects of positive emotions(i.e.,positive emotions and germane cognitive loads play a chain mediating role between visual emotional design and learning retention performance).In addition,game behavior analysis and expression recognition analysis were further conducted.Learners’ behavioral patterns under positive visual emotional design conditions(color)were more able to obtain core information,while under neutral visual emotional design conditions(gray),they were less exposed to core information and more likely to cycle around the same behavior.The results of expression recognition analysis showed that learners in the positive visual emotion design group were more likely to display positive emotions,while learners in the neutral visual emotion design group were more likely to display neutral emotions.Experiment 2 continued to examine the effect of auditory emotional design on learning outcomes based on Experiment 1.Using a single-factor inter-subject design,162 college students(45 male students)were randomly assigned to three conditions: positive background music,neutral background music,and no background music.The study found that positive background music can significantly promote learners’ positive emotions compared to neutral background music and non-background-music.However,there is no significant difference in the impact of germane cognitive load among the three.The research results also found that both positive and neutral background music can significantly promote learner engagement,flow experience,and retention performance compared to non-background-music group.Therefore,a further mediating analysis was conducted between background-music group and non-background-music group,and the results supported the mediating effect and chain mediating effect of flow experience(i.e.,participation and flow experience play a chain mediating role between background music and learning retention performance).In addition,game behavior analysis and expression recognition analysis were further conducted.Behavioral analysis found that behavioral patterns of groups with background music were more likely to be exposed to core information;In the non-background-music group,there will be more ineffective bahaviors.Expression recognition found that the positive background music group also showed more positive emotions and less negative emotions;The neutral background music group showed more positive and neutral emotions,and less negative emotions;The music group without background showed more negative emotions,less neutral emotions,and less positive emotions.In summary,this study found that in game-based learning,on the one hand,positive visual emotional design can significantly improve the learning effect in digital game-based learning.The chain mediated effect indicates that positive emotions and germane cognitive loads play a chain mediated role between visual emotional design and learning retention performance.On the other hand,compared to non-background-music group,background music can promote learning outcomes in game-based learning.The chain mediated effect indicates that participation and flow experience play a chain mediated role between background music and learning retention performance.This study provides empirical evidence to support the important role of emotional design in digital game-based learning,and provides empirical evidence for how to design more effective educational games.