impact of video games on student attitudes and achievement in mathematics: a review of literature...
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Impact of Video Games on Student Attitudes and
Achievement in Mathematics:
A Review of Literature
Blake Whitley28 November 2011
EMS 792x
Introduction
An increasing number of children are playing video games and demand more interactive forms of instruction
46 million gamers between age of 5 and 17 (NPD Group, 2011)
68% of parents believe video games provide mental stimulation or education (NPD Group, 2011)
Introduction
attitudes toward mathematics play a central role in the learning of mathematics as they are frequently used as reliable predictors of long-term achievement in mathematics (Aiken, 1970)
Only one other literature review found that examined student attitudes and achievement in mathematics (2006)
Conceptual Framework
Attitudes (Emotional response) (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)
Self-Efficacy (Belief in one’s ability) (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)
Student Achievement (Demonstrated ability)
Conceptual Framework
Transfer (recall of prior knowledge and understanding of when and where to apply that knowledge) (Van Eck, 2001)
Flow Theory (increases student persistence by providing problems that are at or slightly above student’s level of ability) (Liu, Cheng, & Huang, 2011)
MethodCriteria for Inclusion
Only articles pertaining to student attitudes and student achievement in mathematics will be reviewed
Will not focus on gender differences in attitudes or achievement as a result of video game implementation
Will not focus on socio-economic differences in attitude or achievement as a result of video game implementation
MethodSearch Procedures
ERIC
Search terms: math*, video game*, attitude*, achievement, and computer game*
Forward search conducted using Google Scholar
ResultsVideo Games in Education
Research displays close integration between student attitudes and student achievement (Aiken, 1970)
National Education Association (NEA) made recommendations for the implementation of video games in the classroom: SimCity promotes problem solving skills (NEA, 2007)
ResultsVideo Games in Education
“Educate to Innovate” campaign launched in 2009 to “improve the participation and performance of America’s students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)” (whitehouse.gov, 2011)
“...harnessing the power of...interactive games...to reach millions of students” (whitehouse.gov, 2011)
ResultsVideo Games in Education
DimensionM: role-playing video game requires students to answer rapid-fire math questions as they take part in 3-D adventures (Tabula Digita, 2003)
ResultsStudent Attitudes Toward
MathematicsPositive Impact
Improved attitudes toward mathematics (Akinsola & Animasahun, 2007; Ke, 2008)
Gains in self-esteem (Miller & Robertson, 2010)
Significant positive change in student attitudes and self-efficacy (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)
ResultsStudent Attitudes Toward
MathematicsPositive Impact
Positive attitude toward educational value (Lopez-Morteo & Lopez, 2004)
Computer games promote motivation (Ke, 2008)
Improvement in motivation to learn (Rosas, Nussbaum, Cumsille, et. al., 2003)
ResultsStudent Attitudes Toward
MathematicsPositive Impact
Higher scores correlated to better attitudes toward math (Shin, Norris, & Soloway, 2006)
ResultsStudent Attitudes Toward
MathematicsNo Impact
No difference in student anxiety (Van Eck & Dempsey, 2002)
No significant difference in student attitudes (Gelman, 2010)*
*Positive impact in some categories
ResultsStudent Achievement in
MathematicsPositive Impact
Benefits in terms of both motivation and learning outcomes (Habgood & Ainsworth, 2011)
Improved achievement in mathematics (Akinsola & Animasahun, 2007; Miller & Robertson, 2010)
Students who used handheld games outperformed those who did not (Shin, Norris, and Soloway, 2006)
ResultsStudent Achievement in
MathematicsPositive Impact
Transfer promoted through computer mediated intervention (Van Eck, 2001)
Use of quantitative representations intentional and goal-oriented (Satwicz & Stevens, 2008)
Male language-minority students who played computer games in math daily demonstrated high math performance scores (Kim & Chang, 2010)
ResultsStudent Achievement in
MathematicsNo Impact
English-speaking students who played math games daily displayed significantly lower achievement (Kim & Chang, 2010)
No significant difference in mathematics achievement (Din & Caleo, 2000; Gelman, 2010; Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011; Ke, 2008)
ResultsSummary and Critique
Studies did not always show correlation between student attitudes and achievement in mathematics (although this has been shown in other disciplines) (Watson, 2011)
Enough evidence to suggest positive impact on student attitudes and need for further research on student achievement in mathematics
DiscussionGeneral Issues
Concerns from parents and teachers relating to possible addictive behaviors or problems of social isolation as an effect of its use (Rosas, Nussbaum, Cumsille, et. al., 2003)
Students have difficulties in learning mathematics and only the traditional method of teaching is in vogue in schools (Akinsola, 2007)
DiscussionGeneral Issues
Teachers have a critical role to play in maximizing the educational potential for intrinsic games (Habgood, 2011)
DiscussionAreas for Future Research
Lack of generalizability (Miller & Robertson, 2010; Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011; Shin, Norris, & Soloway, 2006)
Larger sample size (Shin, Norris, & Soloway, 2006; Van Eck & Dempsey, 2002)
Longer period of time (semester or year) (Van Eck & Dempsey, 2002)
DiscussionAreas for Future Research
Longitudinal study (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)
Game design (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)
Non-competitive simulation games more beneficial (Ke, 2008)
Optimum frequency for playing games (Kim & Chang, 2010)