| This purpose of this study was to examine the effects of game-based learning and the
coherence principle on student outcomes and self-efficacy compared to a multimedia tutorial.
The relationship between perceived self-efficacy posttreatment and student outcomes was also
explored.
Participants included 99 undergraduate students in the information literacy portion of a
first-year seminar course in fall 2021 at a rural, public university in the Intermountain West.
Student outcomes were measured by a posttest assessment. Perceived self-efficacy was measured
by the Using Information Responsibly Self-Efficacy Survey (UIRSES) scale both pre- and
posttreatment. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. The
multimedia learning (MT) group (n = 38) received instruction using multimedia tutorials. The
game-based learning (G1) group (n = 36) received instruction using a virtual escape room game
that contained minimal extraneous content. The game-based learning (G2) group (n = 26)
received instruction using the same virtual escape room game as the G1 group, but the G2
treatment contain more extraneous content in the form of interesting topic related, but
unnecessary factoids. All instruction was conducted asynchronously online.
Results indicated there were no statistically significant differences between test scores
based on teaching method. This study found a statistically significant difference overall in
perceived self-efficacy from pre- to posttreatment across the different teaching methods. When
looked at individually, all three teaching methods resulted in gains in perceived self-efficacy,
however, none of the differences between groups were statistically significant. Overall, a small, statistically significant correlation was found between posttreatment perceived self-efficacy
scores and test scores. When examined individually, all three treatment groups showed a positive
correlation between posttreatment perceived self-efficacy scores and test scores, but none were
found to be statistically significant. Each treatment resulted in larger positive correlation
between posttreatment perceived self-efficacy survey scores and test scores than between
pretreatment perceived self-efficacy survey scores and test scores, indicating that all instructional
treatments increased the alignment between the participant’s perception of their abilities and
their actual achievement.
Keywords: Cognitive Theory for Multimedia Learning, game-based learning, gamification,
gaming, multimedia, multimedia learning, self-efficacy, Self-Efficacy Theory |