Gamified Mobile Guidance for Museum Virtual Tours: How Task Design Shapes Learning Experience and Cognitive Load

This study compares museum-related knowledge, museum learning experiences and cognitive load based on task types presented via a mobile application during a museum virtual tour. The study involved three experiments, each examining the effects of different task types. In the first experiment, tasks varied by difficulty (easy vs. difficult), in the second, by user control (self-control vs. external-control), and in the third, by response type (open-ended vs. closed-ended). Participants used a gamified, task-based mobile application developed by the researchers to complete the tasks. The experiments included 98, 96, and 96 pre-service teachers, respectively, all of whom had taken an information technologies course. Results indicated that cognitive load was higher for difficult, self-controlled, and closed-ended tasks. In the second experiment, participants in the self-control group showed significantly higher museum knowledge. Regarding the overall learning experience, easy and open-ended tasks yielded more positive outcomes. These findings suggest that task type can significantly impact cognitive load and learning experiences in virtual environments, offering insights for task design in future virtual learning settings. The study also has implications for the guidance offered to visitors in museum virtual tours to provide a more meaningful learning experience.