Game On: Teachers Implement Video Games To Improve Learning Outcomes
More than 212 million adults in the United States play video games at least once a week. That’s more than half the U.S. population. Furthermore, 76% of parents play video games with their kids every week.
While in some circles, the stereotype “video game players make for lazy scholars” is still prominent, the latest research proves almost exactly the opposite.
Researchers at Brunel University London found that more than 90% of the kids in their study report a focus on video game content helped them to learn better. But don’t just take their word for it.
Almost All Kids Are Gamers
Thirty-five years after the release of Nintendo’s Game Boy, video games are now an inescapable feature of modern childhood. In 2008, the Pew Research Center estimated that 97% of teens played video games. Today, gamers comprise 90% of all children aged two and older.
Parents often worry about gaming’s short- and long-term effects on children. Such concerns aren’t a surprise, as kids aged eight to 17 now spend nearly two hours gaming daily.
Parents care about selecting age-appropriate games, limiting screen time, and even responding to remarks such as, “I want to be a streamer when I grow up.”
The most popular video game series among kids in the U.S. are Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Call of Duty, Pokèmon, and The Legend of Zelda. Bringing Gaming Culture Into the Classroom
More children play video games than ever before. Parents and experts are concerned about their effect on children’s education. Researchers at Brunel University London recently collaborated with Checkpoint. Together, they asked: Do kids benefit from game-related learning materials? In short, yes — but the long answer requires more nuance.
Checkpointdescribes itself as the first fully interactive video game magazine. In addition to their webzine, the London-based media company also produces learning materials for kids. For Checkpoint, the study was an opportunity to measure the success of their in-house products.
Editor-in-chief Tamer Asfahani explains in an interview with the university, “[W]e approached the educational experts at Brunel University London to design an independent study to evaluate the extent to which Key Stage 2 children engaged with our learning materials.” In the United Kingdom, Key Stage 2 is the equivalent of Grades 2 to 5 in the American school system.
Dr. Kate Hoskins worked alongside fellow researchers from Brunel’s Department of Education for the study. The team provided five teachers across four London schools with video-game-related learning materials. The educators then used these materials while teaching a standard science class.
The lesson was simple: learning how to classify animals into different species. However, these class materials featured a fictional creature. Sonic the Hedgehog and other animated friends from Sega video games helped students understand the physical differences between real-life species.
Study findings show 92.8% of students surveyed after the class, “agreed the lesson helped them learn better.” More than 82% expressed increased confidence and interest in learning. The students, aged seven to 11, also scored highly in developmental skills like listening, problem-solving, and creativity.
The video game references immediately drew their attention. “As soon as they came in, they [the kids] saw the three characters, and they were like, ‘Oh, WOW,’” described one teacher with a participating class.
Another echoed the positive experience: “It grabbed their attention, which was amazing. I think teamwork, they worked really well, the communication with them was really well, and they were all focused.”
Researchers hypothesized that young students’ cultural knowledge comprises gaming knowledge and its respective subculture. Referencing beloved video game characters can increase student engagement and motivation, and improve learning outcomes. Researchers hope teachers will leverage these interests to create “meaningful learning experiences.”
“The students’ responses suggest that incorporating gaming culture elements in the classroom can lead to a more enriching learning experience for students across the socioeconomic and cultural spectrum, transforming the way they engage with and understand scientific concepts,” Dr. Hoskins told university media. The Gamification of Learning
Previous research into gaming’s links to learning identified many benefits of bringing kids’ hobbies into classrooms. This educational approach, also known as the gamification of education, differs from designing and producing educational video games.
When educators talk about gamification, they refer to the structure and strategies they use in class, not the content itself. The goal is to “increase learners’ motivation and engagement by incorporating game design elements in educational environments.”
Since 2005, the prevailing theory has been that video games are a powerful educational tool because they teach differing ways to think. Games often happen in virtual worlds with their own internal logic and social practices. Players need more than facts or skills to succeed; gamers must learn to think within a game’s parameters.
Dr. James Paul Gee, a researcher and former linguistics professor at Arizona State University, investigated video games and learning. He argues that people learn differently from media, which requires problem-solving. Gee says various dynamics make video games effective tools.
Players acquire knowledge and skills with an overarching goal rather than fulfilling a checklist.
Players practice skills to the point of mastery, as they often learn by doing. Low-stakes games normalize failure, giving players fresh starts and the ability to explore and take risks.
Video games provide “a well-designed guided experience” that encourages players to identify one or more problem-solving strategies.
Some games encourage players to think critically about leveraging the game’s design to their advantage.
Whether incorporating the dynamics, the characters, or the games themselves, video games have arrived in schools and are here to stay. The onus is on teachers to enthusiastically modernize their lesson plans.
Dr. Hoskins recommends: “Teachers can potentially foster a deeper connection between students and the subject matter when bringing the excitement and challenges of video games into the learning process, ultimately promoting a lasting interest in science education.”