Evaluation of a mobile-based scaffolding board game developed by scaffolding-based game editor: analysis of learners’ performance, anxiety and behavior patterns

Game-based learning with scaffolding is expected to provide learners with an effective and positive learning environment. This study developed a scaffold-oriented educational game editor that allows teachers to design educational game activities that combine physical board game cards. Players could obtain mobile-based scaffolding by manipulating and scanning the cards. We used the editor to develop a game activity, "Return," for a high school chemistry course, and conducted a preliminary empirical evaluation of the mobile-based scaffolding game. Participants were students in a high school in northern Taiwan. The study analyzed the learning effectiveness, anxiety level, and learning behavior patterns of the learners. Results showed that learners' learning effectiveness improved significantly, and their anxiety level decreased after using the game. Analysis of learning behavior patterns revealed that learners were able to fully utilize the mobile-based cognitive scaffolding and real-time feedback provided in the game to try to combine various hidden clues to solve problems.