"Video games provide a good way of embedding curriculum content, such as mathematical and science concepts, which may be difficult to visualize."
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Are your students playing enough video games? Your answer may be yes, but you'd actually be wrong! Watch our video, read our research, and check out our poster below to learn more.
Through some research, Steph Saska, a colleague of mine, and I found that video games can help increase achievement and engagement in the classroom, helping students to learn more, specifically about mathematics. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2013, only 41% of 4th graders achieved proficiency in mathematics, and 18% of students lacked basic understanding of grade-level content in the United States (Zhang, 2014).
Gaming in the classroom has become increasingly popular to combat this disparity by increasing engagement in the classroom. One study found that gaming in the classroom can increase both engagement and motivation and lead to better test scores in mathematics (Biag & Alotaibi, 2020). This study also found a positive relationship between the GPA's of students and the amount of time they play games; gaming provides a good opportunity for applying knowledge in practice, improving problem solving skills, and promoting learning through trial and error (Biag & Alotaibi, 2020).
Gaming in the classroom brings various types of benefits, including: risk-taking opportunities, opportunities to provide feedback, areas for collaboration, and increased interactivity and engagement. According to Stott and Neustaedter, game design often encourages players to experiment without fear (Stott & Neustaedter, 2013). If students are encouraged to take risks in gaming, they are much more likely to be engaged in the process of learning rather than worried about mistake-making. Gaming also gives teachers and students various opportunities to provide timely feedback on learning. Stott and Neustaedter argue that, "Feedback is a critical element in learning. The more frequent and targeted the feedback, the more effective the learning." (Stott & Neustaedter, 2013). Video Games also offer time for students to be collaborative in the classroom and interact with their peers. Gaming often includes teams, which can increase engagement in the classroom as students will need to participate in all discussions together and produce a team.
Check out the poster we made below.
References
Baig, A. R., & Alotaibi, A. (2020). Effect of curriculum-based video games on students’ performance: An experimental study. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (IJET), 15(22), 244. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i22.15541
Zhang, M. (2015). Understanding the relationships between interest in online math games and academic performance: Cool math games. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 31(3), 254–267. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12077
Stott, A.M., & Neustaedter, C. (2013). Analysis of Gamification in Education. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Analysis-of-Gamification-in-Education-Stott-Neustaedter/4c2e7189e548ff6200bc8495f22334224466092b
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