CRITICAL ANALYSIS

A Critical Analysis of:

Scaffolding Game-Based Learning: Impact on Learning Achievements, Perceived
Learning, and Game Experiences
Charles G. Wilcox
CSU Monterey Bay

Introduction
This study was conducted at the University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel,
by Professor Sarit Barzilai and Ina Blau. This study was designed to test the
effectiveness of a scaffold designed for an online interactive game, for children ages 812. The study evaluates the effect of supplementing a business simulation game with an
external conceptual scaffold, introducing formal knowledge with the consideration for
improved learning without sacrificing enjoyment of playing the game, flow of the game,
and the learner's perceptions regarding learning (abstract). The questions posed in the
study are as follows:
1. How does supplementing a game with external conceptual scaffold affect learners
ability to solve formal mathematical-financial word problems following the game?
2. How does supplementing a game with external conceptual scaffold affect learners
perceptions of learning, flow, and enjoyment in the game?
3. What are the relations between learning achievements, perceived learning, flow, and
enjoyment? (p. 12)
The stated hypotheses are:
(1) Positively impact learners achievements in solving formal word problems, (2)
positively affect their perceived learning, but (3) reduce flow and enjoyment during the
game. Accordingly we hypothesized that (4) achievement in solving formal word
problems would be positively related to perceived learning and negatively related to flow
and enjoyment(p. 12).
The research conducted by professors Barzilai and Blau was based on specific
statistical analysis provided by the data they collected during the study. Assumptions on

the part of the researchers were based both on the statistics as well as from the
extensive resources provided. The researchers made a case for conducting the study
by stating that similar studies point toward the benefit of external scaffolds prior to game
play (p. 6). However, they go on to point out that there is not significant empirical
evidence to prove the statements veracity and it was for that purpose why they
conducted the research (p.7).
Research Procedures
The researchers conducted quantitative analysis; however the random sample
they obtained was about .3 of 1% of the actual online participants. The sampling
population was over 50,000 individuals who have played the Shakshouka game on the
My Money website. The researchers asked for volunteers from this population to
participate in the study and received 182 participants. Participants were voluntary and
based upon their affirmative response to a pop up window provided by the researchers
when the game participant logged in to play the game. The participants were
distributed among three different play options: study and play, play only, or play and
then study. The participants were not allowed to choose the category. Ages of the
players ranged from 6 to 14 years of age. The ages of the actual participants fall
outside of the age range the researchers originally intended for this study.
The Shakshouka game is an interactive restaurant game in which the
participants must make decisions about inventory control, menu ingredients and various
other cost control decisions so as to turn a profit. For the purpose of the scaffold,
students were provided with an embedded tutorial related to the game, but with the
mathematical formulas they would need in order to be successful. Essentially the

scaffold provided the participants with the material they would learn in a classroom
environment. The participants were either provided with this tutorial before playing the
game, not at all, or immediately following the game as a recapitulation of the work they
had accomplished. The tutorials are provided to the participants as word problems (p.
18). There does not appear to be any information given in the paper about how much
time the scaffold took to complete. The word problems were used to determine the
players ability to apply what they learned upon commencement of the game (p.19).
Research Results
The researchers used and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to analyze the results.
The statistics showed that the students participating in the study and play group
scored significantly higher than the other two groups. Statistically there did not seem to
be a significant difference between the play only players and the play and study
players. In addition, the researchers found no significant difference between the flow of
the game for the players. In other words, the scaffolds did not prove that the game was
bogged down, or perceived to be boring to the participants who were assigned either
the study and play group or the play and study group. Further, the test results
showed that the perceived learning from game participation was significantly higher in
the play only group than for the other two groups.
The results of the data analysis support the researchers conclusions. The
researchers provided reasonable explanations of the findings by providing specific
statistical results along with citation from other papers related to the subject. The
researchers drew reasonable implications for practice from the findings by concluding
that the sample size was too small to gain adequate information as to whether or not the

scaffolding had worked. Results from the study support the hypothesis that the game
with scaffolding would increase the learners ability to solve the word problems.
However, the statistics demonstrated that how the students (participants) perceived
their success was higher than the actual results and there only appeared to be a slight
increase in their ability to solve the word problems. In addition, the hypothesis that the
scaffold would interrupt the enjoyment and flow of the game seems to have been
disproved as well (p. 32).
Based on the information provided in the paper, the experiment could be
repeatable and conducted with larger sample sizes.
Conclusion
As stated in the conclusion of the study results, the sample size was determined
too small from the original population for the authors to feel that they achieved an
accurate representation of the hypothesized behavior. The sample population was too
small to make a strong case for the actual results. In addition, it must be called into
question as to the age range of the participants targeted (8-12) versus the actual age
range of the participants (6-14). There is concern over this range and the results that
were obtained. Children at different ages will be in different stages of development
(Piaget, 1952). In consideration of the fact that some of the participants were as young
as 6 years, there is a question as to the readiness of an individual at this age to
successfully navigate through the tutorial and provide accurate statistics. While the
statistical analysis demonstrates that the participants perceived that they learned how to
solve word problems by playing the game, it was not to the degree that the data
suggests. Additionally, the participants did not seem to consider the scaffold as a

distraction, as the statistics again showed no direct correlation between enjoyment and
the three variations of the scaffolds.
The researchers conclude that scaffolds should be designed for online games
which facilitate both enjoyment as well as formal learning (p. 38).

References
Barzilai, S., & Blau, I. (2014). Scaffolding game-based learning: Impact on learning
achievements, perceived learning, and game experiences. Computers & Education, 70,
65-79.
Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children (Vol. 8, No. 5, p. 28). New York:
International Universities Press.