Learning and playing style differences between K12 and university students related to educational video games

Abstract

Purpose

This paper presents an in-depth study of learners’ learning and playing styles and their implications for educational video games. This study aims to scrutinize the manifestation of learning and playing styles among learners, to identify the style predispositions and dominance and to assess the implication of these results for educational video games.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a structured model with a detailed methodology for evaluating and categorizing style predisposition and the learner’s dominant learning and playing style. The multimodal style predisposition aggregates several manifested styles at three distinguished levels to achieve more precise differentiation. The authors analyze the outcomes of an empirical field study of 676 K12 and university students, making an in-depth evaluation of their learning and playing styles.

Findings

Based on the presented model to determine the level of preferences and dominance of styles, the study reveals that multimodal style predisposition prevails for both learning and playing styles. Most learners manifest several dominant styles. While the Kinesthetic Visual, Auditory, Read/Write and Kinesthetic (VARK) learning style and Logician and Strategist playing styles prevail, the Read/Write and Competitor styles are the least preferred.

Research limitations/implications

The survey explores particular learning and playing styles – VARK and adaptive technology-enhanced platform for edutainment (ADOPTA). It covers only Bulgarian students, who share common national cultural predispositions. The different sizes of the samples (234 K12 and 432 university students) are also a limitation. Further studies should involve international and equal samples of participants.

Practical implications

Educational video games should reflect the findings about learners’ preferences and predispositions at the planning, design and practical application level.

Social implications

Game-based learning and gamification approaches in education should focus on aspects other than competition.

Originality/value

This paper presents an original methodology for modeling, evaluating and categorizing style predisposition and students’ dominant learning and playing styles and results about these styles of K12 and university students in the context of educational video games.

Citation

Bontchev, B., Antonova, A., Terzieva, V. and Villarroya Soler, E. (2025), "Learning and playing style differences between K12 and university students related to educational video games", Interactive Technology and Smart Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-09-2024-0223