Gameful Experience in Game-Based Ethics Learning: Comparison between Intransigent and Compromise Types of Ethics Sense-Making Activities

Among various pedagogical tools for teaching ethics, games have gained significant attention, especially in the context of social learning, due to their advantages in simulating real-world ethical dilemmas and perpetuating individual and social reflection. While different reflective pedagogy may have differing learning outcomes, when embedded in the context of game-based learning they may also differently give rise to experiences induced by games. Therefore, this study conducts a two-factor (i.e., intransigence and compromise) within-subjects design experiment on the differences in overall and sub-dimensions of gameful experiences stemming from the different ethical sense-making styles the games provide (i.e., non-social approach, intransigence, compromise, and principled negotiations). The results indicate both intransigence and compromise have significant main effects on accomplishment, challenge, immersion, playfulness, and social experience, while a significant interaction effect was observed only for the social dimension of gameful experience.