Learning efficacy and user acceptance of a game-based social skills learning environment

Abstract The objectives of the research study are to investigate how a game-based learning environment affects the learning outcomes of social skills knowledge and user acceptance of children. Social maladjustment places children at risk in early life as it is integral to many emotional, behavioral and psychological problems. The possible deleterious effects of social skills deficits have underscored the importance placed on social skills programs in schools. To address the issue of acquisition of social skills, a Web-based game, as a specific instantiation of educational games for social skills training in a classroom setting, was developed for this research. Besides studying the effectiveness of the game in promoting social skills knowledge acquisition, the study evaluated user acceptance in the game by exploring the two constructs, perceived playability and perceived playfulness. It demonstrated that increasing playability is the key to success of increasing playfulness and excitement in gameplaying. High level of playability brings about the feelings of being joyful and playful in the users. This study also established the importance of playfulness in shaping user acceptance. In other words, a positive perceived playability had a significant effect on perceived playfulness. Perceived playfulness in turn, had a significant influence on user acceptance.