Design and analysis of personalized serious games for information literacy: catering to introverted and extraverted individuals through game elements

Abstract

Abstract Personalized learning has become increasingly prevalent in computer-based education. Nevertheless, there remains a scarcity of studies addressing personalized serious games. This paper delves into a study on a personalized serious game that utilizes suitable game elements tailored to students’ personality traits, focusing on the dimensions of introversion and extraversion. To evaluate the impact of personalized serious games, a comparative experiment was conducted. The study involved both a Control group (Non-personalized game-based approach) and an Experimental group (Personalized game-based approach). Participants were assessed using pre-post tests measuring knowledge acquisition and retention in information literacy for source evaluation, as well as intrinsic motivation measured through the IMI questionnaire. The findings indicate that while personalized serious games can enhance intrinsic motivation, particularly in terms of perceived competence and effort, they did not significantly impact knowledge acquisition and retention. User behavior data statistics revealed a substantial 37% improvement in engagement, measured by both average and total playtime, especially noticeable among introverted participants. However, this personalized approach was found to be less effective for extraverted participants.