Understanding engagement through game learning analytics and design elements: Insights from a word game case study

Educational games have become an efficient and engaging way to enhance learning. Analytics have played a critical role in designing contemporary educational games, with most game design elements leveraging analytics produced during gameplay and learning. The presented study tackles the complex construct of engagement, which has been the central piece behind the success of educational games, by investigating the role of analytics-driven game elements on players' engagement. To do so, we implemented a casual word game incorporating game design elements relevant to learning and conducted a within-subjects study where 39 participants played the game for two weeks. We found that the frequency of use of different game elements contributed to different dimensions of engagement. Our findings show that five of the eight game elements implemented in the word game engage players on an emotional, motivational, and cognitive level, thus emphasizing the importance of engagement as a multidimensional construct in designing educational casual games that offer highly engaging experiences.