The Learning Experience as a Prism for Evaluating a Serious Game with Augmented Reality in Higher Education

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Published: Oct 24, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52358/mm.vi24.553
Keywords:
learning experience engagement evaluation serious game higher education

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Ying-Dong Liu
Université Lumière Lyon 2 et Université de Strasbourg
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3984-5751
Antoine Taly
Université Paris-Cite et CNRS
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5109-0091

Abstract

The learning experience refers to the perceptions and outcomes resulting from interactions between learners and their environment. In the context of higher education, the integration of serious games introduces more interactive, engaging, and experience-centered learning modalities. The augmented reality serious game Pangu, designed to support the learning of biological concepts at the microscopic level, has already been evaluated for its design quality, but without empirically analyzing the students' learning experience. The objective of this study is to evaluate the learning experience associated with this tool and to examine the extent to which it reaches the intended learning objectives. An experiment was carried out with 18 students who completed a knowledge questionnaire before and after using the game as well as a questionnaire evaluating the learning experience at the end of the experiment. The results show a significant improvement in student performance and highlight the positive impact of factors such as playfulness, objective clarity, usability, and cognitive development associated with learner engagement. These findings invite further reflection on the role of digital game-based tools in a university context as levers for active learning, while also raising questions concerning the conditions necessary for their integration into teaching.

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How to Cite
Liu, Y.-D., & Taly, A. (2026). The Learning Experience as a Prism for Evaluating a Serious Game with Augmented Reality in Higher Education. Mediations and Mediatizations, (24), 237–259. https://doi.org/10.52358/mm.vi24.553
Issue
No. 24 (2026): Educational Digital Technology Under Critical Scrutiny
Section
Research articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Ying-Dong Liu, Université Lumière Lyon 2 et Université de Strasbourg

Ying-Dong Liu holds a Ph.D. in Education and Training Sciences. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Education, Cultures, and Policies Laboratory at Lumière Lyon 2 University. She is also a member of the UNESCO Chair at the University of Strasbourg, “Journalism and Media Practices between Globalization and Cultural Diversity.” Her work focuses primarily on the design and evaluation of learning experiences, as well as on instructional design. She is particularly interested in instructional approaches that incorporate serious games or simulations, as well as in analyzing their effects on learning.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Antoine Taly, Université Paris-Cite et CNRS

Antoine Taly es investigador en el Centro Nacional de Investigación Científica (CNRS), en el Laboratorio de Bioquímica Teórica (Universidad Paris Cité / CNRS), donde estudia la dinámica de las biomoléculas. Como docente, explora, entre otras cosas, la pedagogía invertida y los métodos activos de aprendizaje. Participó en la creación del Diploma Universitario «Diseñar un dispositivo gamificado / Aprender jugando» (Instituto Nacional Superior de Docencia y Educación de Lille), cuyo objetivo es capacitar en el uso de los juegos serios como herramienta pedagógica. Sus investigaciones sobre la integración de los juegos serios en la educación superior se centran en el potencial y los límites de estas herramientas pedagógicas.

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