6. Conclusion
In order to explore the patterns of visual strategies for effective GBL, this study used eye-tracking technology to track and observe players’ eye movements while learning in a GBL environment. In addition, this study also aimed at examining the roles of flow and game achievement in conceptual learning achievement in GBL. Several important findings can be summarized: First, the lower conceptual achieving players paid more visual attention to the components of the learning task, the graphic icons, the labels and the terminological definitions, suggesting that they might have had difficulties in comprehending these conceptual representations while playing. And the higher conceptual achieving players seemed to have more efficient text-reading strategies while viewing the relevant information embedded to help learning and playing. This could suggest that decoding and processing relevant information efficiently is important for GBL. Second, the players gaining more learning achievements showed a significant visual escape from the feedback messages, but were then able to return to the learning task, showing better metacognitive control of their visual attention. On the contrary, the players with less learning achievements showed problems in decoding the messages in which their attention was trapped when they returned to the game. Third, the players with better conceptual learning reported that they had experienced higher flow in terms of their sense of control and concentration while playing the game. Finally, two eye-tracking measures, the percentage of fixation count and the percentage of fixation duration, could be significant indicators for the flow experience in game-based learning, especially for the time-distortion feeling.
