The impact of performance orientation on students' interactions and achievements in an ITS

Research on individual differences indicates that students vary in how they interact with and perform while using intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs). However, less research has investigated how individual differences affect students' interactions with game-based features. This study examines how learning outcomes and interactions with specific game-based features (off-task personalization vs. on-task mini games) within a game-based ITS, iSTART-ME, vary as a function of students' performance orientation. The current study (n=40) is part of a larger study (n=126) conducted with high school students. The analyses in this study focus on those students assigned to iSTART-ME. Results indicate that students with higher levels of performance orientation perform better during training, progress further within the system, and interact less frequently with off-task game-based features. These results provide further evidence that individual differences play an important role in influencing students' interactions and achievement within learning environments.