Exploring Learners' Flow and Related Design Strategies in Educational Games from a Psychic Entropy Perspective

Flow is a concept derived from positive psychology, which symbolizes a state of profound concentration where one operates at full capacity. Flow experience is one of the evaluation indicators and design objects of educational games. Learning with educational games is a composite process, including playing, learning, reflecting, and other forms of information processing. However, existing flow models and corresponding design principles are generally constructed for entertainment games' pure fun process. Therefore, the flow models need to be adjusted to guide educational game design. Tracing back to the flow theory's original argument, the opposite of flow-"psychic entropy" (chaotic state of information and consciousness in mind)-can provide a lens through which researchers might examine the information-processing mechanism associated with flow in educational games. From this vantage point, this study developed an information processing framework for learners in educational games based on Gagne's information processing theory, explored the factors that may obstruct flow in the learning process, and proposed design strategies to assist learners in experiencing flow.