A review of models and factors for digital educational games acceptance and user experience

Abstract

Digital educational games (DEG) are currently receiving increasing recognition thanks to how popular digital games are with the young generation as well as the potential benefits this technology has towards improving students' learning motivation and engagement. However, despite the massive efforts and monetary investments made in the academia and industry, the acceptance of DEG among students are still low. While there have been studies that review and investigate the factors that influence students to use this learning tool, most of them cover the common technology acceptance factors without comprehensively considering other key features of DEG such as user experience (UX) elements. The objective of this study is to review the acceptance and UX models and factors normally used by researchers when evaluating DEG. From the review, usefulness, ease of use, and enjoyment are frequently observed to determine students' acceptance of DEG while immersion, aesthetics, concentration, clear goals, and social interaction are among the common UX elements of DEG. There are elements between acceptance and UX that are interchangeable. Hence, an inclusive DEG acceptance model that integrates various UX elements can be developed.