The Impact of Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics on Student Engagement in Educational Games

Abstract

Engaging students in educational games is a significant challenge for game designers and researchers, specially for primary school children, as many games fail to capture their attention or maintain it during a lesson, ultimately affecting learning outcomes. This study tries to investigate how to design educational games that effectively engage young learners by exploring how the elements of the MDA (Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics) framework influence player engagement. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines observations of 232 primary children during gameplay with feedback from their parents through a Game Engagement Questionnaire. The findings reveal that suboptimal game mechanics, disruptive dynamics, and unappealing aesthetics significantly impact user engagement. Further qualitative observations build upon these findings to identify specific design flaws that impair the learning experience. Based on these insights, the study introduces a simple linear framework for evaluating educational games, offering a scalable solution to improve game design and user experience. This framework provides actionable guidelines for developers, especially in low-resource settings like Pakistan, to create more engaging and effective educational games. By streamlining the evaluation process, this study contributes to both the academic understanding of designing game elements and its practical application, ensuring that educational games can foster better learning outcomes for children in diverse educational contexts.