Non-invasive Assessment and Adaptive Interventions in Learning Games

Educational computer games are presently a hot topic in research and development. The idea of utilizing the motivational potential and the rich virtual worlds of today´s computer games is teasing educators as well as technicians. Fully exploiting the educational potential of computer games requires a strong personalization and adaptation to the individual needs and preferences. In the context of games, unfortunately, it is not (easily) possible to apply conventional methods of educational adaptation; methods like curriculum sequencing or adaptive presentation run the risk of seriously compromising the gaming experience and therefore the intrinsic motivation to play (which is considered being the major strength of educational games). In the present paper we present an approach to non-invasively assess knowledge and motivation and to provide the learner with various types of interventions, strongly embedded in the game. The approach is realized and evaluated in the context of the European research project 80Days.