Personalised Learning for Casual Games: The 'Language Trap' Online Language Learning Game

The features of video games that contribute to effective learning are drawing increasing attention in the world of technology enhanced learning. To date, game based learning has focussed on the learning benefits provided by the inherent motivation, rich visualizations, and low risk of failure, provided by contemporary educational games. Although these advantages create highly engaging and immersive learning environments, there remain additional techniques that can further aid the learning process. The integration of personalisation into educational games presents unique challenges, the most important being the preservation of the gaming experience. In consideration that a well designed educational game can seamlessly blend learning and gaming content, any adaptation of the learning content will ultimately affect the gaming experience. In effect all educational adaptations must be achieved in a manner that is non-invasive to the game play. In this paper we introduce the ` Language Trap' German language learning game that provides learners with an online casual gaming environment that also benefits from a personalised learning experience. We demonstrate how a game playable online in a browser, using simple controls, and with low production costs, can effectively deliver this personalised learning experience. Through using the ALIGN (Adaptive Learning In Games through Non-invasion) system the game delivers adaptive dialogue difficulty, performance feedback, motivational support, and metacognitive hints, all within a highly interactive adventure role-playing game. The results of an authentic evaluation of the Language Trap game are presented, additionally we demonstrate how the ALIGN system can effectively adapt the learning experience within the game in manner that is non-invasive to the game play. A discussion on the benefits of adaptive educational games is presented, with particular reference to the benefits provided by the ALIGN system.