Abstract
As dietary habits evolve and awareness of the risks of unhealthy eating grows, the importance of promoting healthy eating habits has intensified. The Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan (2018) highlighted significant deficiencies among adults aged 19-64 in meeting recommended intake levels for dairy, vegetables, fruits, and nuts/seeds. Scholars have explored innovative educational approaches to address these concerns. This quantitative study investigated the integration of digital game-based learning (DGBL) and design thinking (DT) framework in developing an interactive online learning platform for the "Psychology of Eating" course (N=77) in General Education. Two sets of questionnaires, assessing "Students' awareness of dietary issues and psychological cognition related to eating (ADIPCE)" and "Students’ self-perceived health status (SPHS), current health perceptions (CHP), and current dietary behaviors (CDB)", were administered at the beginning and end of the semester. Additionally, "The game flow experience and motivation questionnaire" and "Design thinking questionnaire (DTQ)" were administered at the end of the semester. Results from paired sample t-tests demonstrated statistically significant improvements in SPHS, CHP, CDB, and ADIPCE scores. Statistically significant correlations were found among students’ game flow antecedent (GFA), game flow experience (GFE), intrinsic motivation (IM), and extrinsic motivation (EM), and DT experiences in interactive communication (IC), higher-order thinking (HOT), goal evaluation and application (GEA), and integrative learning experiences (ILE). These findings underscore the potential of integrating DGBL and DT in designing interactive online learning platforms to enhance learning outcomes. Educators can leverage these insights to optimize curriculum design and foster students’ healthier dietary awareness, cognition, and behaviors.
Author Information
Meng-Fang Tsai, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan
Deng-Neng Chen, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
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