Computer Games as Preparation for Future Learning

4 - POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES

Numerical estimation has been used to study how children mentally represent numbers for many years (e.g., Siegler & Opfer, 2003). However, these studies have always presented children with positive numbers and positive number lines. Children’s mental representation of negative numbers has never been addressed. The present study tested children in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th grades to assess their mental representations of both positive and negative numbers using a standard numerical estimation task. We replicated the shift from a logarithmic to linear representation for positive numbers (0–1,000 scale) in that 2nd graders represented positive numbers logarithmically, but 4th and 6th graders represented the numbers linearly. Furthermore, children’s representation of negative numbers paralleled their representations of positive numbers and showed the same shift from a logarithmic representation at Grade 2 to linear representations at Grades 4 and 6. This is the first study to provide data on children’s representation of negative numbers, and the implications of these findings are discussed.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a game-based learning (GBL) content design model that replicates the two-dimensional Bloom cognitive process in GBL units. The proposed model, called the knowledge and cognitive-process representation (KCR) model, enables a game player to access three types of Bloom knowledge by allowing the learner to experience-related cognitive processes that can be replicated in the GBL units via appropriate representation approaches. Design/methodology/approach – To validate the feasibility of the proposed KCR model, 14 GBL units for a Cisco-certified network associate (CCNA) certification training program were designed and installed on several servers. Players played the GBL units via internet browsers. According to the problem-solving theory, three game components, including a tool, feedback, and goal, are necessary for game playing and should be adopted to implement three sub-cognitive processes. A three-phase experiment was performed for one year. Subjects were university sophomores and a randomized block experiment design was implemented. Findings – The experimental results show that, compared with a traditional web-based learning platform, the GBL platform is more efficient and it enables learners to achieve improved learning performance. In addition, most hypotheses support the fact that particular cognizance processes should be implemented by a specific representation approach in GBL. Finally, a KCR model for GBL content design is inferred to represent a cognitive process appropriately that can be referenced for both the digital content instructor and the game developer. Research limitations/implications – Because the CCNA training material does not include meta-knowledge of Bloom knowledge type and the creation of the Bloom cognitive process, the KCR model should be further extended. In addition, others certification training materials (such as Oracle DBA, Java programmer) can be implemented on the basis of the KCR model for general validation as further research. Practical implications – Players can acquire specific types of knowledge, such as factual knowledge, by experiencing a particular cognitive process, such as the “remembering & understanding” processes, which can be represented with a computer tool. The KCR model can provide both the instructor and the game developer with design recommendations and accelerate GBL content implementation. Originality/value – GBL is a learning platform that can stimulate a learner by improving the motivation to learn and the learning experience. To ensure high-learning performance, the learner should perform specific cognitive processes and acquire knowledge. This research proposes a content design model for GBL units that appropriately replicate the Bloom framework in a computer game.

The main goal of this study is to address the association between computer games and students’ academic performance. Computer games provide promising opportunities to motivate and involve students in learning. The exceptional growth in numbers of youth playing computer games in Saudi Arabia has stimulated this study to be conducted. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of two learning methods: game-based learning and nongame-based learning. We also observed the effectiveness of providing important terms’ Arabic meaning during the learning process. Both learning methods are designed and applied on teaching a computer networking course in community college. A total of 44 community college students were involved in the study; they were randomly assigned to two groups of equal size (N = 22). One of which used game-based learning method and the other one used nongame-based learning method. Furthermore, both groups were observed with and without native language hint. A knowledge test was conducted as the pretest and posttest. Students’ experiences and opinions on both methods were collected through feedback questionnaires. Data analyses showed that the game-based learning with native language hint demonstrated good performance as compared to nongame-based learning without native language hint. The results showed that students who use game-based method perform better and are more motivated than those who use the non-gaming method. The results suggest that computer game and native language hint can be used in education as a tool to increase student’s academic performance and motivation in non-English speaking countries.

Objectives . Agile methodologies are crucial in software engineering and information systems (IS) development. However, traditional training methods can struggle to convey abstract theoretical concepts effectively and may lead to reduced engagement. We propose that combining several learning methodologies and incorporating serious games and gamification strategies in training can offer a more innovative and engaging approach to improve comprehension. This article outlines a game-based learning strategy designed to instruct information systems students in agile development. Our approach is rooted in active learning principles, incorporating methodologies such as problem/project-based learning, microlearning, collaborative learning, and learning by doing. The course design unfolds in two phases. Initially, participants delve into short, serious games that vividly demonstrate theoretical concepts, followed by brief moments of theoretical exposition. In the subsequent phase, participants apply all the knowledge they have acquired through an extensive project. To illustrate and evaluate the overall process, this approach was implemented to teach Scrum in several training courses. Participants . The participants in this study were information technology and systems students at different academic levels. Study Method . The research model adopted in this work is based on the Design Science Research (DSR) method. Adhering to the DSR method, the study advanced through distinct phases: recognizing the challenge of engaging Agile Development education, formulating a solution with a course design that blends game-based learning and diverse learning methodologies, developing the course artifact, practically implementing it with Scrum with several groups in different contexts, and assessing its effectiveness using pre- and post-course quizzes. The course aimed to instruct participants in agile methods within information system development. Findings . Feedback from the courses was clearly positive, with participants expressing a preference for the proposed game-based approach over traditional expository lecture methods. Pre- and post-course knowledge quizzes revealed a noteworthy increase in correct answers and overall scores in the end. Conclusions . The novelty lies in an integrated approach that combines multiple active learning methodologies—such as game-based learning, microlearning, collaborative learning, project-based learning, and learning by doing—to facilitate the comprehension of theoretical concepts through practical application.

Previous studies suggest that there is an association between positive numbers and space; however, there is less agreement for negative numbers. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the nature of the processing and representation of negative numbers, and the association between negative numbers and space. Results of the two experiments show that low-level processing (perception) of negative numbers can induce spatial shifts of attention. Whether this is caused by their numerical value or absolute value depends on the numerical context and task requirements, indicating that there are both components and holistic processing, and representation for negative numbers. The representation is automatically associated with leftward space; the coding and representation of the mental number line is adaptable to the specific numerical context and task requirements. The mental number line, therefore, can extend to the left side of zero, thus supporting the context-dependent view.

To explore second- and third-year student pharmacists' perspectives on the design and use of a digital game to teach opioid medication safety. To explore the game-based learning approach to teach about appropriate drug use and pediatric education. The lead author developed MedSMART: Adventures in PharmaCity, an educational video game focused on adolescent opioid safety. Second- and third-year students in a Midwestern School of Pharmacy enrolled in an elective course focused on appropriate use of abused drugs, played the digital game during a classroom session on adolescent opioid misuse. Using a small group discussion guide, students summarized their reflections and perspectives on gameplay. Students retained fundamental messages of the game including opioid safety and identified that social interactions contribute to decision-making and consequences of opioid misuse. Student pharmacists found the game's visual appearance engaging, dialogue amusing, and the settings and scenarios relatable. Feedback regarding game controls, environment, dialogue, instructions, and level summaries was provided by students to improve the game design and content. This project provides an example of a thoughtful approach to game-based learning in pharmacy classrooms with the purpose of enhancing student pharmacists' knowledge about opioid safety education, communication, social collaboration, and critical-thinking. Future projects can further investigate student pharmacists' preferences of using game-based active learning. Additionally, retention rates of students from joint lectures and game-based learning activities can be analyzed.

Children’s profiles of addition and subtraction understanding

Game-based learning is a well-established educational concept that has been rejuvenated through digital technology. Game-based learning leverages the interactive nature of games to promote active knowledge acquisition in students. The effectiveness of game-based learning centers on two key components: competition and engagement. This theory is rooted in the belief that engagement occurs when students actively perform tasks within a stimulating game environment, fostering active learning. Modern digital games seamlessly integrate educational content with gameplay, facilitating the transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory. Game-based learning is applicable across various educational settings, including higher education in the health professions. In higher education, digital games stimulate active engagement, supporting the development of problem-solving skills and collaboration in academic environments. Furthermore, game-based learning instills a valuable lesson in students — the ability to learn from mistakes and failures while completing the assignment. Game-based learning provides a safe space for students to learn, offering scaffolding through simulations, preparing them for course performance. Some of the most popular educational games are those that allow educators to create questions with answers, enabling students to compete for points. Most of these games can be specifically tailored for the current content, are accessible online, and multiple groups can participate simultaneously. In this study, we developed several web-based games for multiple student cohorts, incorporating them into class activities and making them available as solo-play options within the Learning Management System (LMS) as SCORM packages. In specific courses such as biochemistry and physiology, students were invited to engage in free online games developed by the instructor, employing various free platforms. The games were optional, and participation was not tied to grading. These games featured questions designed at a Bloom's Taxonomy level comparable to the summative assessments in the course. The games fostered a competitive, enjoyable atmosphere that was well-received by students. These game questions served as additional checkpoints for revisiting key concepts and essential details from the class sessions. Importantly, as these questions were not associated with grading, it ensured a stress-free learning experience. As assessment resources, students were able to access the games through the LMS, reviewing questions and playing them repeatedly to learn from their errors and reinforce their understanding. This approach allowed students to engage in self-assessment while feeling that they were studying, even outside the classroom. To investigate whether student engagement with games correlates with improved academic performance, we tracked access to the games in the LMS during the semester. We recorded the number of times each student accessed the games and correlated this data with their course grade. In addition, we distributed an end-of-semester survey to gather students' perceptions regarding the utility of game-based learning in their learning process. The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the significant benefits of game-based learning in their learning journey. However, our analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant correlation between student engagement with the games and their course grade. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the integration of game-based learning activities into the classroom environment enhances student engagement, promotes active learning, and receives strong positive feedback from students. While game-based learning offers a valuable tool for reinforcing key concepts and providing a stress-free environment for self-assessment, our findings do not suggest a direct correlation between student engagement with game-based learning and improved course grades. This intriguing result underscores the complex relationship between student engagement and academic performance, suggesting that other factors play a pivotal role in determining student outcomes in higher education. None. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Computer games, predominantly a form of interactive entertainment, have been repurposed for game-based learning in recent years. Many studies have presented the educational value that computer games possess with evidence that supports the positive experiences of game-based learning. Game-based learning could be an invaluable learning approach for the 21 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">st</sup> century, but is currently hindered by the lack of availability of serious games to support this innovative approach. Developments in software engineering that enable automatic generation of software artefacts through modelling promises new hope for game-based learning adopters, especially those with little or no technical knowledge, to produce their own serious games for use in game-based learning. This paper presents a new framework based on a model-driven approach designed to aid non-technical domain experts in the production of serious games.

This research was game-based learning on integer addition, subtraction, multiplication and division for Grade 7 students. Research objectives were 1) to develop game-based learning with an efficiency of 75/75, 2) to compare students’ learning achievement before and after the implementation of game-based learning approach, and 3) to examine students’ satisfaction with game-based learning. The sample group consisted of 28 Grade 7 students from Khambongpittayakom school, selected through purposive sampling. The game-based learning activities encouraged students' interest in learning, provided enjoyment, promoted peer interaction, stimulated enthusiasm, and supported systematic thinking and problem-solving in real-time learning contexts. Moreover, the approach enhanced understanding of mathematical content as all students actively participated in learning by playing games that integrated mathematical concepts. The research instruments included six lesson plans, a 20-item multiple-choice achievement test, and a 10-item student satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean, percentage, standard deviation, and t-test. The results showed that: 1) the efficiency of the game-based learning activities was 78.71/80.36, which exceeded the expected criterion, 2) students’ post-test scores were significantly higher than their pre-test scores at the .05 level, and 3) students' satisfaction with game-based learning was at the highest level (equation = 4.59, SD = 0.70). The results are consistent with the research hypothesis therefore, game-based learning can effectively enhance students' academic achievement.

The purpose of this article is to gain knowledge about how interactions in a gaming context become constituted as effective resources for a student’s learning trajectory. In addition, this detailed study of a learning trajectory documents how a computer game becomes a learning resource for working on a specific topic in school. The article reports on a qualitative study of students at an upper secondary school who have played the computer game Global Conflicts: Palestine to learn about the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A sociocultural and dialogic approach to learning and meaning-making is employed as an analytical framework. Analyzing different interactional episodes, in which important orientations and reorientations are located, documents how the student’s learning trajectory developed and changed during the project. When engaged in game play in educational settings, experiences with playing computer games outside of school can relevantly be invoked and become part of the collaborative project of finding out how to play the game. However, these ways of engaging with a computer game might not necessarily facilitate a subtle understanding of the specific topic that is addressed in the game. The findings suggest that the constitution of a computer game as a learning resource is a collaborative project, in which multiple resources for meaning-making are in play, and for which the teacher has an important role in facilitating student’s adoption of a multiperspective on the conflict. Furthermore, the findings shed light on what characterizes student-teacher interactions that contribute to a subtle understanding, and offer a framework for important issues upon which to reflect in game-based learning (GBL).

The use of computers to assist in assessment, intervention, reporting and training professionals is increasing. However, systematic evaluations of computer programs have not been conducted in order to determine if computer programs can assist speech-language pathologists in more efficient and effective service delivery. This study set out to determine the potential advantages (if any) of using computerized assessments as compared with more traditional paper and pencil tests. Twenty subjects were tested with the traditional paper and pencil version of the Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language (Revised Edition) (Carrow-Woolfolk, 1985a) and a computerized version of the test, developed for the purposes of this study. Each subject received both versions of the test, with three weeks between administrations. Each subject's raw scores and the times taken to administer and score the test were recorded. No significant differences were found in the raw scores obtained on the two versions. However, the differences in time taken to score and administer the two tests were statistically significant, with an overall saving of eight minutes per administration and scoring of the test. These findings indicate that the computerized version is as accurate a measure of raw scores as the traditional paper and pencil version, and that it is more efficient in terms of clinician time.

Solving arithmetic problems has been shown to induce shifts of spatial attention, subtraction problems orienting attention to the left side, and addition problems to the right side of space. At the neurofunctional level, the activations elicited by the solving of arithmetical problems resemble those elicited by horizontal eye movements. Whether overt orientation of attention (i.e., eye movements) can be linked to the solving procedure is, however, still under debate. In the present study, we used optokinetic stimulation (OKS) to trigger automatic eye movements to orient participants' overt attention to the right or to the left of their visual field while they were solving addition or subtraction problems. The results show that, in comparison to leftward OKS and a control condition, rightward OKS facilitates the solving of addition problems that necessitate a carrying procedure. Subtraction solving was unaffected by leftward or rightward OKS. These results converge with previous findings to show that attentional shifts are functionally related to mental arithmetic processing.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of English as a Foreign Language Special Education teachers (EFLSE) regarding game-based learning approaches for addressing behavioral disorders in ADHD patients. Method: The study involved a sample (n = 131) of EFLSE teachers who completed a questionnaire to determine how feasible, acceptable, and helpful they found game-based learning. Results: The study revealed that EFLSE teachers perceive game-based learning to be a feasible and acceptable method for engaging ADHD students and helping to maintain their attention during game-based learning activities. Nevertheless, implementation and individualized approaches are cited as challenges. Additionally, EFLSE teachers emphasized the benefits of game-based learning, including improved problem-solving, assessment methods, collaboration, and the acquisition of academic skills. Conclusions: The study contributes insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers that can support the development of evidence-based interventions offering game-based learning for students with ADHD.