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Journal of Computer Assisted Learning

Volume 33, Issue 5
Original article

The effects of cognitive capacity and gaming expertise on attention and comprehension

Y.‐H. Lee

Corresponding Author

E-mail address: leeyuhao@jou.ufl.edu

Department of Telecommunication, University of Florida, , Florida, USA

Correspondence: Yu‐Hao Lee, Department of Telecommunication, University of Florida, Weimer Hall, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. Email:

leeyuhao@jou.ufl.edu

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C. Heeter

Department of Media and Information, Michigan State University, , Michigan, USA

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First published: 05 May 2017
https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12193
Cited by: 1

Abstract

Educational video games can impose high cognitive demands on its users. Two studies were conducted to examine the cognitive process involved in playing an educational digital game. Study 1 examined the effects of users' working memory capacity and gaming expertise on attention and comprehension of the educational messages. The results showed that gaming experts seem to benefit more from having a higher working memory capacity when processing information from the game. However, gaming experts' available working memory did not predict better comprehension. Instead, non‐experts' available working memory predicted better comprehension. Study 2 further examined whether these results were caused by insufficient working memory allocation or different attention focus between gaming experts and non‐experts. The findings suggest that gaming experts approach the game differently from non‐experts, focusing on familiar features and overlooking unfamiliar (educational) information.

Lay Description

What is already known about this topic:

  • Digital games are increasingly used for educational purposes, but the effects are mixed.
  • Digital games impose high cognitive demands on its players.
  • Working memory capacity and expertise may affect how players can effectively learn from digital game‐based learning.

What this paper adds:

  • Working memory capacity and gaming expertise facilitate information processing in digital game‐based learning.
  • Gaming experts and non‐experts approach the game differently.
  • Gaming experts may not have an advantage in digital game‐based learning because they may over‐rely on their existing schema to process in‐game information and overlook important new information.

Implications for practice and/or policy:

  • Practitioners and designers should integrate the educational messages into the game mechanics to reduce cognitive load.
  • Gaming experts may have an advantage if the educational message is closely integrated into the game mechanics because they can process the information more efficiently.

Number of times cited: 1

  • Jacob T. Fisher, Richard Huskey, Justin Robert Keene and René Weber, The limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing: looking to the future, Annals of the International Communication Association, 10.1080/23808985.2018.1534551, (1-25), (2018).
    Crossref