Document Type
Article
Abstract
Constructivist psychology has long demonstrated the potential for play to offer various benefits to learning. This study introduced active game-based learning experiences, in the form of role-playing games, into an undergraduate history course that also included passive lecture and discussion elements. Mixed methods student feedback surveys were used to examine the impacts of game-based learning on students’ affective and cognitive engagement in the course and offer a comparison between the lecture and game-based learning experiences. Qualitative data were analyzed through the paradigm of Mohsen, Abdollahi, and Omar’s (2019, 518-520) framework for educational value, including affective evaluation, conceptual understanding, skill development, and experiential learning. Students’ affective and cognitive engagement during game-based learning were consistently high. While students expressed a slight affective preference for lecture, their cognitive engagement was significantly higher during game-based learning, highlighting benefits beyond those offered by lecture. These results are situated within the context of the extant literature on game-based learning and student engagement and the need for continued exploration of beneficial connections between these constructs, specifically within the higher education classroom setting.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Postprint version. Published in International Journal of Role-Playing, Volume 17, 2026, pages 22-41.
APA Citation
Hoke, R., & Risk, J. (2026). Rewriting the Rules: Game-based Learning for Affective and Cognitive Student Engagement in an Undergraduate History Course. International Journal of Role-Playing, 17(17), 22–41.https://doi.org/10.33063/ijrp.vi17.594
Rights
(c) 2026 Rachel Hoke, James Risk This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.