Abstract
Live action role playing games can be used for educational purposes (edu-LARPs), but information about their learning effectiveness is limited. To our knowledge, even quantitative instruments for in situ measuring (i.e. during playing the game) of affective constructs, for instance flow or generalized positive and negative affect in edu-LARPs, are lacking.
Existing instruments cannot be applied straightforwardly due to several reasons; most notably, because they are not gamified. Administering a non-gamified inventory in the game can influence/interrupt the states it is supposed to measure.
The research aim of our new project is to investigate acquisition of mental models of mechanical devices learnt within an edu-LARP and correlate the quality of the acquired mental model with in situ flow and generalized positive/negative affect (planned N ~ 10 groups x 10 participants). So far, we have conducted three pilots (N ~ 10, 12, 13) for which we developed a new method for assessing these constructs by in-game questionnaires (and tested the LARP's plot, a sci-fi space opera).
The results so far are promising in that we are able to administer the respective questionnaires in situ without adverse effects of the measurement process on these states; as reported by participants in post hoc focus groups. Our method can be probably used in other edu-LARPs provided certain requirements on the LARP's plot are met.
Another result is that some components of flow (such as fluency/sense of control) seem to be influenced by role playing but others (such as absorption or time alteration) not so. This indicates that the notion of flow as a unitary construct may not be applicable in LARP contexts.