Chapter 1

Introduction

Background of the Study

As the 20th century entered, Electronic Device was

introduced. After a decade, it grew in the community and houses,
became popular to all and was later on been a necessity of every
people and an ordinary means of communication.

As this industry rises, a certain invention that was

considered a great help to humans was the birth of ‘computers’.
This was considered as a great success and one of the finest
inventions in history because it makes life easier and cheaper.
Computers are versatile and used globally by all means.

It is truly inevitable to use computers as a tool to make

human imaginations turn into reality. Due to human consciousness
and desire, “Virtual World” was created or popularly known as the
“Virtual Reality”. In this world, humans may enter an imaginary
environment that is concrete inside the computers monitor or
screen through watching and travelling in it. Not too long, it
came to some minds that virtual reality may also be used to play
certain games in the computer. This became the start of making
games in the computer for leisure and pleasure.

Playing computer games didn’t start as a money industry or

product that became known to the whole world in a blink of an
eye. It was first as a form of entertainment for people during
their break time and if they are bored because of too many things
that pre occupies their mind.

Computer games addiction has no physical component or

objective diagnosis, but many of the consequences are similar to
alcoholism or drug addiction. Some addicts allow jobs,
relationships and academic careers to languish or collapse in
order to spend more time playing their favorite games. Gamers who
become entrenched in excessive daily gaming routines can find it
difficult to make room for much else in life. (www.ehow.com)
Nowadays, in our generation, we are pre occupied by
different computer games that is being introduced day by day.
Until now, there were many games that are coming out in the game
industry that are adopted by game enthusiasts. Some are the
famous games that are not only being played by men but also women
and these are DotA (Defence of the Ancient), WoW (World of
Warcraft), Grand Chase and League of Legends.

Due to the influencing power of computer games, most of

children, teenagers and students became a victim and a prisoner
of this virtual world. This became the reason why many students
have low grades and sometimes fail or dropped in one or more of
their subjects. Because of this very reason, parents, colleges
and universities and even the government had a negative
connotation to computer games.

To solve this kind of problem, parents are trying to make

some strict moves in order to prevent their child from playing
computer games while the government is busy making laws and
ordinances preventing and regulating the number of hours that
students spent playing computer games.

However,it is becoming clear that there are those who lose

control of their gaming habits. For these individuals, computer

games (especially online multiplayer games) take center stage in

their lives. Work performance may suffer due to extended late

night gaming sessions. School grades may drop as a consequence of

giving more attention to computer games than studying.

Relationships may deteriorate as one partner feels neglected and

less important that his or her partner's latest game obsession.

(www.ideamarketers.com) Thus, it is the interest of this study to

find out the effects of computer gaming in the academic

performance of third year students of Bachelor of Science in

Marine Transportation.

Statement of the Problem

The problem of the study focuses on the effects of computer

gaming to the academic performance of third year student section
one of Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) of St.
Therese MTC Colleges, Magdalo Site for Academic Year 2011-2012.

To understand the problem better, the following questions

were raised:

• Is there significant difference in the level of students’

engagement in computer gaming when group according to
durations of hours in playing?

• Is there a significant difference in the level of academic

performance when grouped according to duration of hours in
playing?

• Is there significant relationship between the level of

students engagement in computer gaming and the academic
performance of BSMT 3?

Objectives of the Study

In general, the study seeks to ascertain the effects of

computer gaming to the academic performance of third year section
one of Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) of St.
Therese MTC Colleges, Magdalo Site for Academic Year 2011-2012.

Specifically, the study aims to:

• To determine the significant difference in the level of

students’ engagement in computer gaming when group according
to durations of hours in playing.

• To determine the significant difference in the level of

academic performance when grouped according to duration of
 hours in playing.

• To determine the significant relationship between the level

of students engagement in computer gaming and the academic
performance of BSMT 3.

Hypotheses of the Study

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the

direction of the study and to serve as bases for coming up with
relevant conclusions:

• There is no significant difference in the level of students’

engagement in computer gaming when group according to
durations of hours in playing.

• There is no significant difference in the level of academic

performance when grouped according to duration of hours in
playing.

• There is no significant relationship between the level of

students engagement in computer gaming and the academic
performance of BSMT.

Definition of Terms

In order to have and achieve coherence, to make the study

easy, efficient and to give effective information to the readers,
the researchers gave definitions to technical terms that was used
to discuss and share the knowledge from this research paper. The
terms used were the following:

• Computer – it refers to a programmable machine. This means

it can execute a programmed list of instructions and respond
to new instructions that it is given.

(www.techterms.com/definition/computer)
 In this study, it refers to the device used in gaming.

• Computer Game – any of various games, recorded on cassette

or disc for use in a home computer, that are played by
manipulating a mouse, joystick, or the keys on the keyboard
of a computer in response to the graphics on the screen.

(www.freedictonary.com)

In this study, it refers to games being played by the use of

a computer.

• Video Game – an electronic game that involves human

interaction with a user interface to generate visual
feedback on a video device.

(wikipedia.org)

In this study, it refers to games being played through a

video device.

• Virtual Reality –a hypothetical three-dimensional visual

world created by a computer; user wears special goggles and
fiber optic gloves etc., and can enter and move about in
this world and interact with objects as if inside it.

(www.freedictionary.com)

In this study, it refers to the graphics of a certain

computer game.

• Gamer –referred to someone who played role-playing gamesand

wargames.

(wikipedia.org)

In this study, it refers to an individual engage in computer

gaming.

• Internet –It is a network of networks that consists of

millions of private, public, academic, business, and
government networks, of local to global scope, that are
linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical
networking technologies.
 (wikipedia.org)

In this study, it refers to the connection used in playing

online game.

• Online Games –game played over some form of computer

network.

(wikipedia.org)

In this study, it refers to the game played by the use of

internet.

• LAN –(Local Area Network)-computer network that

interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home,
school, computer laboratory, or office building.

(wikipedia.org)

In this study, it refers to the connection being used in

computer gaming.

• LAN Game –a game which is played by several players.

(wikipedia.org)

In this study, it refers to games played by the use of LAN

connection.

Significance of the Study

The researchers believe in the importance of this study.

This study may give way for students, parents, and the community
to understand and clarify things about computer games. In our
country, it became a negative effect to the society. On the other
side of the coin, we cannot see the positive effects that these
computer games bring or may bring especially to students.

Important informations are provided to guide and give right

knowledge to the people according to the classification, type,
specialty and what the game really consists based on the needs of
the user.

Through this study, the researchers are hoping that the

readers will give consideration to the reasons why some people
enter and continue to love and play computer games.

This may also serve as a reference or guide why students

gain low grades and sometimes affect their academic performance.
On the other side of the coin, this study may help the parents,
teachers, government and/or anyone in the community to understand
of how students can balance studies and entertainment without
going beyond their limitations as a student while completing the
academic demands.

For the students, may this research study that the

researchers conducted will serve as a guide and warning for the
recent generation and for the future teenagers on how to control
and differentiate playing video and computer games and the
knowledge one may acquire from studying and the importance of
achievement and honour a diploma may give.

For the parents, this study will served as a warning about

the effects of computer gaming on the academic performance of
their children.

The faculty and teachers of this institution for them to

develop new styles of teaching and proper way of dealing with
students engage in such activity.

The administration of St. Therese MTC Colleges-Magdalo Site

will be warned regarding the effects of such activity on the
academic performance of the students and impose laws that will
enable students to avoid this kind of activity.

The researchers aim to make the people aware about the

negative and positive effects of computer games; that every
situation should be taken seriously and not for granted.

Scope and Delimitation

The information is based on previous studies that were made

in and outside the country.
 The researchers believe that this study may give a
concrete view about the effects that computer games produce to
students.

The scope of this study is the 50 identified students

of St. Therese MTC Colleges “Magdalo Site” who play computer
games.

Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

Understanding the Key Concepts

History of Computer

Computers have been around for quite a few years.  Some of

your parents were probably around in 1951 when the first computer

was bought by a business firm.  Computers have changed so rapidly

many people cannot keep up with changes.

Thanks to Hollerith's machine, instead of taking seven and a

half years to count the census information it only took three
years, even with 13 million more people since the last census. 
Happy with his success, Hollerith formed the Tabulating Machine
Company in 1896.  The company later was sold in 1911.  And in
1912 his company became the International Business
Machines Corporation, better known today as IBM.

What is considered to be the first computer was made

in 1944 by Harvard's Professor Howard Aiken.  The Mark I computer
was very much like the design of Charles Babbage's having mainly
mechanical parts, but with some electronic parts.  His machine
was designed to be programmed to do many computer jobs.  This
all-purpose machine is what we now know as the PC or personal
computer.  The Mark I was the first computer financed by IBM and
was about 50 feet long and 8 feet tall.  It used mechanical
switches to open and close its electric circuits.  It contained
over 500 miles of wire and 750,000 parts.

The first all electronic computer was the ENIAC (Electronic

Numerical Integrator and Computer).  ENIAC was a general purpose
digital computer built in 1946 by J. Presper Eckert and John
Mauchly.  The ENIAC contained over 18,000 vacuum tubes (used
instead of the mechanical switches of the Mark I) and was 1000
times faster than the Mark I.  In twenty seconds, ENIAC could do
a math problem that would have taken 40 hours for one person to
finish.  The ENIAC was built the time of World War II had as its
first job to calculate the feasibility of a design for the
hydrogen bomb.  The ENIAC was 100 feet long and 10 feet tall.

A more modern type computer began with John von

Neumann's development of software written in binary code.  It was
von Neumann who began the practice of storing data and
instructions in binary code and initiated the use of memory to
store data, as well as programs.  A computer called
the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Computer) was built using
binary code in 1950.  Before the EDVAC, computers like the ENIAC
could do only one task then they had to be rewired to perform a
different task or program.  The EDVAC's concept of storing
different programs on punched cards instead of rewiring computers
led to the computers that we know today.

While the modern computer is far better and faster than the
EDVAC of its time, computers of today would not have been
possible with the knowledge and work of many great inventors and
pioneers. 
Computer Gaming
Computer gaming is a type of video game playing that is
played on a personal computer, rather than a dedicated video game
console. Computer gaming has shifted in popularity over the
years, as prices and performance fluctuated between consoles
and personal computers. In the modern day, it has largely settled
into its own, with a number of games lending themselves
exclusively to computer gaming, while other types of games are
better suited for consoles.
Early computer gaming largely revolved around text
adventures, as this was one area where they could differentiate
themselves immediately from arcade games. Although there were
early graphical computer games, such as Spacewar, which was
perhaps the first computer game ever, many of the most popular
were simple text inputs. The original, and perhaps most famous,
of these was the Adventure game, and later games built off of its
success. Eventually graphics were added to the idea of
text computer gaming, with text remaining as a command input,
even while simple graphics helped to build the scene.
In the early 1980s computer gaming saw a boom in popularity,
as the bottom fell out of the console video game market. A glut
of bad games for consoles, combined with lower prices for home
computers, made computer gaming an obvious choice for many
people. When the Nintendo Entertainment System was released, this
boom slowed somewhat, although it continued for many more years
in Europe.
With the addition of the mouse as an input device to
computers, graphical computer gaming began to make much more
sense. Graphical adventure games, such as the popular King’s
Quest series, made use of the mouse to allow a player to interact
with a static image environment. At the same time, a new genre,
the first-person shooter, began to emerge. One of the first of
these, Wolfenstein 3D, was released by id Software in 1992, and
helped to popularize the idea of first person shooters.
The next year, making use of the steadily increasing
processing power of computers, id Software released Doom, a
revolutionary first person shooter that was one of the most
popular games of the era. The industry would remain relatively
stable until 1996, when further innovations in video card
technology allowed for even more ornate and stunning games, with
Tomb Raider being an early third person shooter to take advantage
of the processing power of computers of the era. Beginning around
the turn of the millennium, computer gaming exploded into being
an even larger market than it had traditionally been, becoming
one of the mainstream uses of computers in most homes. Games got
even more complex, as technology advanced even further and as
game developers began to experiment with new methods of
interaction that differentiated the computer platform from the
console. Games like Warcraft and Starcraft, Command and Conquer,
Black & White, and The Sims are all examples of this type of
game.

The origination of graphical massive online role-playing

games was the next huge leap in computer gaming. Similar in
concept to text-based MUDs which had existed since the early days
of the internet, these massive games took full advantage of the
ubiquity of high-speed internet and powerful computers. Allowing
thousands to hundreds of thousands of players to interact in
a virtual world, they have become an enormous market share of the
video game market, and a social phenomenon unto themselves.
Local Studies

The Local Government Unit and Non-Government Unit of

Batangas join hands together to control the internet café and
computer shop to operate online games during class hour
especially those who are neighbours of the educational
institution to prevent the students from cutting classes, and
other negative effect of online games.
Foreign Studies

Lepper, M. R. & Gurtner, J (2000), states that prolonged and

excessive use of these games can cause, mainly upon children, a
number of physical and psychological problems which may include
obsessive, addictive behaviour, dehumanization of the player,
desensitizing of feelings, personality changes, hyperactivity
learning disorders, premature maturing of children, psychomotor
disorders, health problems (due to lack of exercise &
tendonitis), Development of anti-social behaviour and loss of
free thinking and will.

Anderson and Bushman (2001), found that across 54

independent tests of the relation between video game violence and
aggression, involving 4262 participants, there appear to be five
consistent results of playing games with violent contents.
Playing violent games increase aggressive behaviours, increases
aggressive cognitions, increases aggressive emotions, increases
physiological arousal, and decreases pro-social behaviours. Since
most electronic games are violent, children below legal ages are
emotionally disturbed and caused several changes on their
behaviour.

Gentile & Walsh (2002), wherein 55% of parents said that

“always” or “often” should parents put limits on the amount of
the time their children may play computer and video games, and
40% said they “always” or “often” check the video game   rating
before allowing their children to buy or rent computer or video
games. Even through these numbers are not particularly high, they
may overestimate the amount of parental monitoring of children’s
video game play.

Theoretical Framework

This study further concerned on cognitive abil
ity of the students and their performance in the
actual classroom interaction. The following are the three
theories of motivation that supports the idea on how to arouse
the attention of the students:

1.Instrumental/operant learning: (Skinner) it 
states that the primary factor is consequences:
rein forcers are incentives to increase behaviour and
punishers are disincentives that result in a decrease in
behaviour.(Stimulus => response => reward)

2. The desire of reward is one of the strongest incentives of

human conduct; the best security for the fidelity of
humankind is to make their interest coincide with their
duty. --Alexander Hamilton (The Federalist Papers)

3.Observational/social learning: (Bandura) it sugg
e s t s   t h a t   m o d e l i n g   ( i m i t a t i n g others) and vicarious
learning (watching others have consequences applied to their
behaviour) are important motivators of behaviour.
Conceptual Framework

Independent variable Dependent variable

 Chapter III

Research Methodology

Nature of Research Design

This study attempted to ascertain the effects of
computer gaming on the academic performance of BSMT 3 students of
ST. THERESE MTC COLLEGES, MAGDALO SITE.
Chapter III describes the nature of research design,
sampling techniques used, selection and profile of respondents,
instrumentation, validity and reliability of the questionnaire,
the data gathering procedure, and the statistics employed in the
interpretation of the data.
The dependent variable in this study is the academic
performance of BSMT 3 most specifically the grades of students
and the independent variable were the computer Game ( Defense of
the Ancients, League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth) being played
by the respondents.
This study used the descriptive method of research. This
method of research was concerned with the present, although it
considers past events and influence as they relate to current
condition, Best (1991). David (2002) discussed descriptive
research as the situation or given state of affairs in terms of
specified aspects or factors. What may be described are
characteristics of individuals or groups or conditions.

The study tested the hypothesis:

• There is no significant difference in the level of students’

engagement in computer gaming when group according to
durations of hours in playing.
• There is no significant difference in the level of academic
performance when grouped according to duration of hours in
playing.
• There is no significant relationship between the level of
students engagement in computer gaming and the academic
performance of BSMT 3.

Sampling Technique Used

The researchers adopted the purposive sampling technique in
selecting respondents for the study. The respondents of this
study were the 50 identified students who are engaged in computer
gaming.

Instrumentation
The data gathering instrument was a researcher-made
questionnaire containing the effects of computer gaming for the
purpose of the investigation.

The questionnaire consisted of 15 statements which were

answerable in a five-point scale as follows:

5 - Always
4 - Often
3 - Sometimes
2 - Seldom
1 - Never

For the purpose of interpretation the following range of

scores/ weighted mean
will be used :

Score/WeightedMean
Description
4.21-5.00
Very Highly Implemented
3.41-4.20
Highly Implemented
2.61-3.40

Implemented
1.81-2.60
Moderately Implemented
1.00-1.80
Not Implemented

Validity of the Questionnaire

Validity refers to the extent to which a measurement does
what is supposed to do, which is to measure what it intends to
measure (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2006:59). The experts of the industry
will validate the questionnaire for correction, verification and
evaluation. Panel of experts came from the Maritime and General
Education instructors of St. Therese-MTC Colleges – Magdalo
especially the researchers’ adviser Mrs. Mary Jane Garcia.
 The proposed questionnaire was presented to the panel
members to check if the statements are in congruence to the Good
and Scates Criteria or Eight (8) Point Criteria.

Reliability of the Questionnaire

The questionnaire was pretested to vendors who are not
respondents of this investigation. In this study, there will
be a pre-tested questionnaire that will be given to those who are
not considered as the respondents of the study. The test is said
to be reliable if they obtained Cronbach alpha if items are
deleted is 0.70 and above.

Data Gathering Procedure

Permission to conduct study was secured by the researcher
from the Dean of the Maritime Department.
The identified respondents selected purposively was gathered
and oriented on the purpose of the study.
The researchers administered the instruments to ensure its
100% retrieval. The accomplished instrument was checked to ensure
that all items were answered accordingly.
The data were tallied, tabulated, computed, analyzed and
interpreted.

Statistical Tools Used

The data gathered were subjected to certain computer-
processed statistics, specifically using the Statistical Package
for Social Sciences (SPSS) software.
The descriptive statistics used were the frequency count,
percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The inferential
statistical tool was the One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
test for Independent Samples which is used if variables are
classified into three or more categories.

Descriptive Statistics
 Frequency count and percentage were used to determine the
number of respondents who belonged to the different categories of
independent variable.
Mean was utilized to describe the effects of computer gaming
on the academic performance of BSMT 3 students.

Inferential Statistics
In order to determine the significance of the differences on
the participant’s perceptions about computer gaming among BSMT
students. The researcher used the One-Way analysis of variance
(ANOVA) test for independent sample. One-Way analysis of variance
(ANOVA) is a parametric method for testing equality of population
means among groups of 3 or more groups.
The significant level of all inferential tests was set at .
05.