The use of learning games within the classroom is becoming increasingly common because of their potential to positively impact learning. Recent developments in adaptivity offer further possibilities to personalise learning by tailoring the game to an individual child's level or particular learning needs. However, designing an adaptive learning game is a complex process as many different game components have an impact on the provision of optimal challenge, crucial for maintaining player engagement, with limited prior work considering the multifaceted nature of this concept. This paper explores how to design for “challenge” within large-scale adaptive learning games through a case study focused on the design of a literacy game for three linguistically and cognitively diverse learner groups—novice readers, children with dyslexia and children learning English as a foreign language. In reflecting on our design process, we identify three key design tensions that arose: (a) supporting longer-term learning goals through game replayability; (b) fostering either replication or innovation in pedagogy through adaptivity rules; and (c) addressing diversity between learner groups. We present a set of design recommendations to guide researchers and designers in taking a multidimensional view of challenge when designing large-scale adaptive learning games.

中文翻译：

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面向小学生的大型自适应识字游戏中的“挑战”设计

在课堂上使用学习游戏正变得越来越普遍，因为它们有可能对学习产生积极影响。适应性的最新发展通过根据个别孩子的水平或特定学习需求定制游戏，为个性化学习提供了进一步的可能性。然而，设计自适应学习游戏是一个复杂的过程，因为许多不同的游戏组件会对提供最佳挑战产生影响，这对于保持玩家参与度至关重要，考虑到这一概念的多方面性质，先前的工作有限。本文通过专注于为三个语言和认知不同的学习者群体（新手读者、有阅读障碍的儿童和学习英语作为外语的儿童。在反思我们的设计过程时，我们确定了三个关键的设计紧张局势：(a) 通过游戏可重玩性支持长期学习目标；(b) 通过适应性规则促进教学法的复制或创新；(c) 解决学习者群体之间的多样性问题。我们提出了一套设计建议，以指导研究人员和设计师在设计大规模自适应学习游戏时从多维的角度看待挑战。(c) 解决学习者群体之间的多样性问题。我们提出了一套设计建议，以指导研究人员和设计师在设计大规模自适应学习游戏时从多维的角度看待挑战。(c) 解决学习者群体之间的多样性问题。我们提出了一套设计建议，以指导研究人员和设计师在设计大规模自适应学习游戏时从多维的角度看待挑战。