Stats Kwon Do: a Case Study in Instructional Design, Multimedia and Gamification of Instruction

Stats Kwon Do: a Case Study in Instructional Design, Multimedia and Gamification of Instruction

Stats Kwon Do: a Case Study in Instructional Design, Multimedia and Gamification of Instruction

By David Coffland & Theresa Huff

Abstract

Anxiety surrounding the taking of online statistics courses in higher education is a common issue. Many studies have been conducted on the cause of math anxiety as well as anxiety in computer-based learning. The purpose of this study was to examine whether using gamification and Mayer’s Multimedia principles in an asynchronous, online statistics course would reduce state anxiety in learners. Based on previous research that showed adding gamification elements to a learning environment lowered student anxiety, the original statistics course was redesigned around a gamified, martial-arts theme: informally called Stats Kwon Do, which incorporated several gamified elements such as a storyline, achievements, applied equipment, and boss battles. Additionally, specific multimedia principles were used in the redesign that research had shown relieved anxiety, such as segmenting, personalization, and coherence. Over the course of two semesters, two different groups of students went through the Stats Kwon Do course and provided weekly feedback (a) to guide continued improvements to the course and (b) to reflect on how they felt about the course. Over 1200 comments were gathered and analyzed to see which parts, if any, of the redesigned course reduced anxiety. The results showed that initial anxiety decreased significantly during the first two weeks with students citing gamification elements as a contributing factor. However, most comments noted specific multimedia principles that contributed to the reduction of anxiety, specifically, shorter videos (segmenting), repeated opportunities to learn and practice material, and the use of visual elements.

Reference

Coffland, D., & Huff, T. (2022). Stats kwon do: A case study in instructional design, multimedia and gamification of instruction. TechTrends, 66(6), 945-956. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11528-022-00793-y

Keywords

computer-based learning, gamification, multimedia, feedback