ETEC 565D IP Activity 2: Digital Games & Learning: Reviews of Research

Martin, Wendy, Silander, Megan, & Rutter, Sarah. (2019). Digital games as sources for science analogies: Learning about
energy through play. Computers & education, 130, 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.11.002

The article taken from the journal Computers and Education outlines the research done by Martin et al to answer
the question “…whether instructional techniques that support visual mapping of analogies can help students
translate game learning to science learning”. The researchers found that there was ample evidence to
demonstrate the benefits of incorporating digital games into science instruction, but the question was whether
there would be greater benefits if the analogous connections and relationships between the game and the
science concepts were explicitly mapped and explained by teachers. Martin et al conducted a matched
comparison group study using three science concepts from middle school – photosynthesis, heat transfer, and
electricity with games designed for each concept. Experimental variables such as play time and instructional
strategies were kept consistent between the two groups as much as possible, however, the main difference
between the two groups was that the treatment group engaged in a classroom debrief session after playing
which explicitly discussed the connections between the game and the science concept, whereas the comparison
group engaged in classroom discussion before and after playing with no specific direction to make connections
between the game and concept to be learned. Results were gathered using a multiple-choice assessment from
existing sources to assess student understanding of the concepts.

The results obtained from this study were not surprising. Students in the treatment group appeared to learn
more than those in the comparison group. There were some interesting variations, such as a greater benefit
realized when it came to the electricity results compared to the other two topics. The authors cited possible
factors for this including game design.

The results of this study are somewhat questionable owing to a small sample size, a non-random selection of
participants (11 teachers volunteered with their 231 students), and somewhat inconsistent participation by
students. The authors acknowledge these limitations and do much statistical adjustment to account for them.
Despite these limitations, the authors maintain that their results show that incorporation of games in learning is
most effective when they are supported by scaffolded discussions and visual materials and explicit mapping.

Tokac, Umit, Novak, Elena, & Thompson, Christopher, G. (2019). Effects of game-based learning on students’
mathematics achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of computer assisted learning, 35, 407-425. DOI: 10.1111/jcal.12347

This meta-analysis article, taken from the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning describes an investigation into
the “…effects of learning video games on mathematics achievement of PreK - grade 12 students compared with
traditional classroom instructional methods.” Tokac et al state that learning mathematics presents a challenge
for several students whereas video games are entertaining and engaging, and have been used extensively over
the past years in educational contexts. However, the effectiveness of video games vs traditional teaching
methods is shown to be questionable at best and several examples of conflicting studies are posted, including
mixed results using the same games. Using Shute and Ke’s (2012) definition of a video game, the authors list
three questions they intend to explore: 1. the relative effectiveness of game-based learning vs traditional class
instruction, 2. the heterogeneity of results from various studies, and 3. the moderating effects of study
characteristics such as grade level, instrument type, country, etc.

The authors go on to detail their exhaustive search to find articles relevant to their objective, and their criteria
for article selection. One major challenge noted was that it was difficult to find studies that used a consistent
definition of ‘video game’ as some included simulations and virtual reality. Another challenge was the variety of
variables between studies in terms of instruction practices. Their list of moderator variables was reduced to six
main items: grade level, instrument type, length of game-based intervention, country, and publication year and
type. Their inclusion criteria included seven points that limited the publication years, study designs, participant
ages, and data usability. Their initial search through several search engines with various key-words produced an
initial collection of 860 published and unpublished sources, but with further narrowing of selection criteria, that
number was ultimately brought down to 24. A very intensive statistical analysis follows, and ultimately despite a
paucity of research in this area, the article analyses showed a small but marginally significant academic benefit
of mathematical video games over traditional methods. However, in terms of the second initial question, there
was disagreement between study results, and not all studies showed this benefit. As to the third question on
moderating effects, only publication type and publication year posed any significant effect on heterogeneity.

The authors suggest further research in this area is needed, and using data from such studies to further
development of game design to support and enhance learning in mathematics.