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<p>External scaffolding is often provided to students before, during, and after playing video games in the classroom. Although assistance is often reportedly offered when students encounter difficulties while playing, the nature and impact of this in-game scaffolding remains understudied. To begin addressing this gap, we conducted two studies exploring (1) how tutors naturally provide scaffolding to players during a puzzle game and (2) comparing those approaches with a structured method designed to encourage autonomy and exploration: a guidebook for delivering hints in game-based learning environments. Our observations revealed distinct patterns in tutors’ natural scaffolding styles. Among the four tutors observed, two primarily offered hints about the game’s mechanics, while the other two focused on giving hints regarding the players’ strategies for completing puzzles. Notably, tutors in our sample tended to over-scaffold by providing hints before players explicitly indicated they were stuck, interrupting their play. These varied approaches most often left players remaining stuck or led them to explore parts of the puzzle unrelated to the guidance. These patterns highlight variations in the timing and manner of hint delivery, the effects of such interventions, and suggest potential over-scaffolding that may hinder players’ independent problem-solving. In contrast, players who were supported by a tutor trained with the guidebook more frequently continued to explore after getting stuck, progressed further on average, and required fewer interventions overall. Together, these studies underscore the importance of carefully examining how tutors scaffold gameplay, suggesting that promoting player autonomy and exploration benefits both learners and tutors alike.</p>

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How tutors scaffold learning during puzzle game play

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月29日

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  • Craig G. Anderson,
  • Zack Carpenter,
  • Basel Hussein,
  • Shima Salehi,
  • David DeLiema

摘要

External scaffolding is often provided to students before, during, and after playing video games in the classroom. Although assistance is often reportedly offered when students encounter difficulties while playing, the nature and impact of this in-game scaffolding remains understudied. To begin addressing this gap, we conducted two studies exploring (1) how tutors naturally provide scaffolding to players during a puzzle game and (2) comparing those approaches with a structured method designed to encourage autonomy and exploration: a guidebook for delivering hints in game-based learning environments. Our observations revealed distinct patterns in tutors’ natural scaffolding styles. Among the four tutors observed, two primarily offered hints about the game’s mechanics, while the other two focused on giving hints regarding the players’ strategies for completing puzzles. Notably, tutors in our sample tended to over-scaffold by providing hints before players explicitly indicated they were stuck, interrupting their play. These varied approaches most often left players remaining stuck or led them to explore parts of the puzzle unrelated to the guidance. These patterns highlight variations in the timing and manner of hint delivery, the effects of such interventions, and suggest potential over-scaffolding that may hinder players’ independent problem-solving. In contrast, players who were supported by a tutor trained with the guidebook more frequently continued to explore after getting stuck, progressed further on average, and required fewer interventions overall. Together, these studies underscore the importance of carefully examining how tutors scaffold gameplay, suggesting that promoting player autonomy and exploration benefits both learners and tutors alike.