Game-Based Learning for Competency Abilities in Blended Museum Contexts for Diverse Learners

Museums offer a lifelong edutainment environment with flexible choices for the public and provide fruitful interdisciplinary learning resources to support competency-based education.However,the lack of proper scaffolding and supports in museums negatively affect learner learning.Further,the individual differences need to be considered to effectively support the diverse learners learning in museums.In this study,an innovative learning model to support competency education for lifelong learning in museums is proposed.A game-based learning service named CoboFun that offers various types of problem-solving activities was developed to facilitate learners’interaction with exhibits and their peers in the museum.To examine the service design of CoboFun,learners’perceptions were evaluated and the differences in their cognitive styles were examined(Field Independent(FI)and Field Dependent(FD)).The results showed that both FI and FD learners enjoyed learning with CoboFun but that flexible learning tools needed to be provided to satisfy the different needs for the learners with different cognitive styles.