Conclusion and Future Work

In this work, we have proposed several design

techniques for leveraging existing arcade

-

style games

in a learning context, such as adjusti

ng for lost time

and optimizing efficiency of input and feedback. In our

controlled study, we have also demonstrated th

at, even

when embedded in a fast

-

paced game, retrieval

practice offers a potent production vocabulary gain over

studying, but that this b

enefit may come at the cost of

reduced engagement

,

particularly for slower learners.

While existing arcade

-

style games

have

experienced

limited adoption in the realm of education

compared to

custom

-

made

arcade games

or virtual environment

games

, our promi

sing results suggest that

this domain

deserve

s

more attention

.

In particular, greater

emphasis should be placed on

understanding

potential

trade

-

offs between

learning

benefits

and

user

enjoyment

in

the educational adaptation of

fast

-

paced

games

.

The result

s from this study also open a gateway

for exploring

other forms of

retrieval practice that may

be less cognitively demanding and include more

instructional scaffolding

, such as displaying

a few word

choices.

G

radual adaptation of learning challenge

s

,

perh

aps by offering a combination of study and

retrieval trials, should also be explored in future work.