Instructional formats and digital game-based vocabulary learning activities: The role of extraneous cognitive load

Abstract

This research examined the impact of managing extraneous cognitive load on incidental vocabulary acquisition during digital game-based vocabulary learning (DGBVL) activities. The participants were 70 Arabic-speaking university freshmen (CEFR A2) who were randomly assigned to an Integration Group, where the extraneous load was managed, and a Control Group, where it was not. The students played an arcade-style online game that taught them ten low-frequency pseudowords. Then they were given Immediate and Delayed post-tests which measured eight areas of word knowledge, including both receptive and productive skills. A 2 × 2 repeated-measures MANOVA revealed significant main effects of group and time. The integrated format, which was less cumbersome for their cognitive load, allowed the participants to experience more vocabulary gains and better retention than the control group. The advantages were particularly strong for the productive aspect of word knowledge, which demands more from working memory. These results support the hypothesis that the proper handling of extra cognitive load leads to an increase in both learning efficiency and retention. It therefore, emphasizes the significance of teacher intervention in the design of DGBVL with cognitive load as a factor.