Computer Game Article Essay Example

and assisting teachers, creating curriculum, addressing fairness concerns, and adjusting to an ever-changing world. It should be mentioned that technology has applications beyond its benefits in education.

According to Ekberg (2009), technology refers to hardware, software, and related tools (P. 281). It also includes recreational and leisure-related creations such as computer, CD-ROOM, the internet, television, DVD, compact discs, pods, AMP players, and video games. Video games are a type of technology that provides visual, auditory, and kinesthesia/tactile simulation experiences. Many students enjoy using video games during their leisure time for relaxation. These games have significantly advanced from their initial form.

Video games have transformed over time, starting with simple and repetitive games like Pong. Now, they have become more complex and realistic thanks to technological advancements in computing. The popularity of video games has led to scrutiny in various areas, including addiction, epilepsy, and violent content. Negative findings relating to these issues often receive media attention and public condemnation.

Recently, there has been an increase in research on the potential advantages of playing games, such as promoting CIT skills and serving as a motivational component for training and education (Ip Jacobs Watkins, 2008, P. 356). This paper aims to examine the relationship between the frequency of playing video games, the type of game used, and academic achievement, as measured by traditional examination results, among players.

Definition of Terms Wisped

According to the Free Online Encyclopedia, a video game is a game that necessitates user interaction with a user interface in order to generate visual feedback on a video device. Initially, the term "video" exclusively pertained to raster display devices; however, it now encompasses all

types of display devices due to its extensive usage. Individuals typically utilize electronic systems such as personal computers and video game consoles for playing video games.

These platforms, which include large computers and small handheld devices, are diverse in both Video Games ; Academic Achievement. The popularity of arcade games has declined. The game controller serves as the input device for controlling video games and its features differ depending on the platform. For instance, a dedicated console controller can have either a single button and a joystick or multiple buttons and one or more joysticks.

Historically, early personal computer games required a keyboard or a separate Joystick with at least one button for gameplay. However, modern computer games now allow players to use a keyboard and mouse together (Video Games, Wisped, 2008). In addition to visual feedback, video games have incorporated other reproduction devices like speakers, headphones, and hepatic peripherals such as vibration or force feedback (Video Games, Wisped, 2008).

According to Wisped, video games have mainly been developed for entertainment purposes but also serve other functions such as education or propaganda. These types of games, including serious games, fall under this broader definition. Ekberg (2009) defines technology literacy as the understanding of how technology affects our lives both positively and negatively (P. 281). Additionally, the necessary skills required in the 21st century are critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, production, and creativity (P. 281). P. Jacobs and Watkins (2008) highlight that popular video game titles like Grand Theft Auto, The Sims, and The Legend of Zelda offer complex content and interaction that demand players to possess not only spatial skills and quick reflexes but also problem-solving

abilities. In 1999, Pennsylvania implemented academic standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening as well as Mathematics to evaluate students' knowledge and proficiency at various grade levels.

School districts have the freedom to create curriculum and instruction that ensures students meet or surpass the expectations of the standards, as stated by the Assessment PEED in 2001. The annual Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (SAA) is a criterion-referenced assessment that measures students' achievement of academic standards and evaluates how well school programs help students achieve proficiency in those standards. Reading and math assessments are administered to all Pennsylvania students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11, while writing assessments are given to students in grades 5, 8, and 11." (Assessment, PEED, 2001).

The Pennsylvania Department of Education provides student scores to their respective schools, allowing teachers to identify students who may benefit from additional educational opportunities. Schools and districts use these scores to improve curriculum and instruction based on criteria determined by the State Board of Education in accordance with the PA School Code. For more information, please contact [email protected].

"The Preliminary SAT (SAT)/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (MOST) is a program co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NCSC). It serves as practice for the SAT Reasoning Test and also allows students to qualify for NCSC scholarship programs. The SAT/MOST assesses critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills, and writing skills acquired both inside and outside of school."

The SAT/MOST, College Board (2008) states that this test does not require students to recall specific facts from their subjects. There are several reasons why feedback on strengths and weaknesses in skills necessary for

college study is important. Students can then focus on preparing in the areas that would benefit the most from additional study or practice. Additionally, the feedback can help students see how their performance on an admissions test compares to others applying to college. It also allows students to enter the competition for scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (grade 1 1) and helps in preparing for the SAT.

Students can familiarize themselves with the types of questions and specific instructions found on the SAT. Additionally, they can receive information from colleges by selecting "yes" to the Student Search Service option (SAT/MOST, College Board, 2008).

Identification of the Problem

The research results suggest that students' academic achievements are influenced by video games. While some questions have been addressed through the analysis of different studies, there are still unresolved inquiries that I plan to further investigate. Video Games & Academic Achievement 8

The text discusses the correlation between video games and academics, specifically focusing on three queries. It analyzes the impact of video game usage patterns on academic performance and compares the influence of school engagement with that of video games on academic achievement. Furthermore, it investigates whether the type of video game (educational or adventure) has any effect on academic success.

To answer these questions, the study will concentrate on two sub-questions: evaluating how various usage patterns of video games affect academics and determining if the type of video game played influences academic achievement.

The objective of the research is to investigate the impact of video game usage patterns and types on academic achievement. The hypothesis suggests a connection between academic performance and video game

use, which may differ based on the specific type of game. The paper proposes a comprehensive examination of existing literature to evaluate this relationship.

This paragraph discusses the relationship between video game and electronics usage and academic performance. It presents a comparison of academic achievements with and without video game usage, as well as the impact of video game usage on both achievement and attitudes towards academics. The section focuses on three studies that specifically examined how the frequency of video game and electronics usage is linked to students' academic achievements.

The objective of these studies is to investigate whether there is a connection between increased utilization of electronics and video games and decreased academic performance, or if decreased utilization of electronics results in enhanced academic achievements. 'p, Jacobs, and Watkins (2008) conducted a study to examine the potential correlation between gaming frequency among teenagers and their performance in exams for specific academic subjects.

The study included 713 undergraduate students with varying gaming frequencies, study disciplines, genders, and attitudes toward gaming. Its objective was to examine their engagement in computer and/or video games. The gender distribution was almost equal, comprising of 369 males and 344 females. In terms of academic fields, there were 292 humanities students, 327 science students, and 94 participants pursuing a combination of both fields. Additionally, the research required participants to be enrolled in Level 1, 2, or 3 full degree schemes at their university.

To conduct a survey and obtain statistically significant results, a web-based questionnaire was utilized in this study. All undergraduate students at Swansea University in the United Kingdom were given the survey, which consisted of seven questions for

gamers and five questions for non-gamers. The objective was to assess the time and resources they allocate to gaming and electronic devices.

In addition, the students had to give permission for their questionnaire to be used with their exam scores (P. 357-358). The survey's results and conclusions were noteworthy. Firstly, non- or infrequent gamers are more likely to achieve higher marks in all subject disciplines compared to frequent gamers. Moreover, non- or infrequent gamers are also more likely to achieve higher marks in humanities/ non-numerical, science/numerical, and mixed subject areas than frequent gamers.

According to research (P. 358), male gamers who frequently play games tend to have lower academic performance compared to those who do not play games or play them rarely. Moreover, individuals who participate in four or more game genres demonstrate significantly lower grades compared to those who engage with three or fewer genres. Additionally, regular gamers are less likely to achieve higher grades in biological/physical sciences and language subjects when compared to non-players or infrequent players.

According to a study (P. 358-367), individuals who play video games frequently tend to receive lower marks than those who do not play or play less often. Moreover, dedicating time to social events and listening to music is also linked with reduced exam scores. In general, frequent gamers achieve inferior marks compared to less frequent gamers. Another investigation conducted by Ivies And (2007) aimed to assess the influence of increased video game usage on academic performance among college-aged students. This study involved 276 participants whose Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores or Grade Point Average (GPA) were evaluated.

The students were selected at random from five

postsecondary colleges in New York. Collegiate students were chosen due to their personalized time management skills, which are not solely dictated by their parents like younger study subjects. The survey was also part of the methodology and/or procedures used. The students were asked about their time management skills on an average day. Their skills were evaluated by examining the duration they spent on various activities such as work, online browsing, playing video games, watching television, etc.

Their SAT scores and GAP were utilized as indicators of academic performance in various analyses. Chi-squared tests were carried out to examine the associations between video game usage and academic performance (P. 554). The survey yielded unexpected outcomes and conclusions. A negative relationship was identified between academic performance and video game usage, indicating that higher usage of video games is associated with lower academic performance. Specifically, when video game usage in a week reached four and a half hours or less, no decline in SAT scores was observed. However, scores tended to worsen after this threshold.

In terms of academic performance, math scores generally decreased after using video games for four and a half hours, while verbal scores remained unaffected. The decline in math scores was significant enough to impact the overall test results. Additionally, James D. Williams (2006) conducted a study that explored the relationship between self-reflection activities (such as writing in journals and quiet contemplation) and academic performance, as well as the influence of reduced electronics usage.

Williams hypothesized that increased self-reflection would enhance academic performance. The study involved three middle school students aged 13, 13.5, and 13.8. The research methodology included administering the Culture Fair Test

of Intelligence (2006-Williams) to collect data on intelligence, personality traits, and cognitive styles. Additionally, the students were provided with a Journal and agenda book with the freedom to write about anything they desired.

Furthermore, the students were required to document their daily activities in the agenda book. The research was divided into three months. Initially, during the first month, they had to record their activities in the planner and dedicate fifteen minutes each day for journal entries. Teachers evaluated their performance based on homework, tests, and other classroom tasks. In the subsequent two months, students were limited to thirty minutes of electronics usage per day and were prohibited from listening to music during their travel to and from school or as a background activity.

They were still required to write in their Journals and record activities. However, they now had more time available for reading, writing, meeting friends, or reflecting (P. 3-4). The findings and conclusions were fascinating. In the initial month, the three students spent an average of 3.8 hours per day engaged with electronics. Over the weekends, their usage of electronics significantly increased. The teachers demonstrated that there was no change in the academic performance of the students during this month. By the second and third months, two out of the three students dropped out of the test due to an inability to tolerate idleness or the boredom resulting from reduced electronic usage.

The grades of the final student have greatly improved, going from a C average to an 8+ (P. 4-7). However, it is crucial to acknowledge that this only applies to one student and a small sample size, so additional

testing on a larger group is necessary to confirm the significance of this change. It can be inferred that dedicating less time to watching TV and more time to studying can have a positive impact. Nevertheless, it should be recognized that reducing the use of electronics may have adverse effects on other students. Ultimately, the manner in which video games are utilized often leads to enhanced academic performance.

In the third study, test subjects were compelled to lower their video game usage, while the first two studies examined the relationship between academic achievement and existing video game usage patterns. The results revealed that participants who played video games more frequently exhibited lower test scores and academic achievements, as indicated by their survey responses.

This section explores three studies that compare academic achievement with and without the use of video games and electronics. In Soundly's(2005) study, the effectiveness of English language grammar instruction on student achievement was examined when delivered through computer or web-assisted means. The study involved students from three K classes at Lepta Habitual Liaise, a public school in North Cypress. The control group was Class A, the experimental group was Class B, and Class C consisted of students who did not participate.

After receiving study instructions, both Class A and B students were given the opportunity to transfer to Class C. To evaluate their initial levels, both the experimental group and control group took tests on English Language Grammar and English Language Attitude Scale. The experimental group utilized usage boards and computer programs in a computer lab for grammar exercises, while the control group completed exercises in a classroom setting with peer interaction

and paper materials that included grammatical rules (P. -4).

Before the experiment, the control group had a higher Grammar Test score. However, after the experiment, the experimental group, which used computers, had a significantly higher average score. The same trend was observed with the Attitude Scale. The control group had a higher score before the test, but the experimental group performed much better after the exercises (P. 5-6). Despite being less significant than the difference observed in the grammar test, this trend still exists. In general, web-assisted teaching appears to be more efficient and effective compared to standard methods.

The advantages of web-assisted technology over traditional methods may vary depending on the teachers rather than the students. In a study conducted in both 1993 and 2001, Din & Calla (2001) explored whether kindergarten students who played educational video games on Sony Plantation showed superior learning outcomes compared to their peers who did not engage in gaming. To achieve their objective, the researchers designed a test-retest reliability and construct Aladdin involving a known group. This allowed for a comparison between a controlled class and an experimental class. Additionally, they administered a pre-post assessment using the Wide Range Achievement Test- RE (WRATH RE).

There were a total of forty-seven preschool aged children from two classes in an urban public school in the northeastern region. Class A, known as the experimental group, consisted of twenty-four students, while Class B, referred to as the control group, comprised of twenty-three students. These children were between the ages of 5 and 6 and came from lower socioeconomic backgrounds such as single parent households and disadvantaged homes. Additionally, all the students belonged

to the African-American ethnicity. Both teachers were female but differed in terms of experience - the teacher for Class A had three years of prior teaching experience whereas the teacher for the control class had five years (P.98).

The intervention employed a Sony Plantation named Lightship, which comprised of forty CDCs (Content Delivery Containers) containing educational games for kindergarten students. In the experimental group, the classroom teacher instructed students on utilizing the Lightship, while parents participated in a workshop on operating the device. The Lightship activities were incorporated into daily 40-minute lessons, five days a week in Class A. Furthermore, students engaged in play with a classmate during school hours and with a parent at home, dedicating at least 30 minutes each day to playing with the Lightship.

Additionally, Class A lasted for a duration of eleven weeks. The two classes had identical curricula except for the incorporation of the Lightship (P. 98-99). Both classes underwent pre-testing and post-testing using the Wide Range Achievement Test- RE, which assessed skills in spelling, mathematics, and reading decoding. This test consisted of around fifteen to twenty subtest items. An ANCHOVY was conducted to analyze the test results of both classes. Both classes showed improvements in spelling and reading scores, with Class A demonstrating greater gains compared to Class B.

Despite the presence of , only a minor improvement was observed in the mathematics posters for both classes. Based on the ANCHOVY results, Class A exhibited a more notable improvement in spelling and reading compared to Class B. However, no difference was found in the field of mathematics (P. 99-101). It is worth considering whether any Sony Plantation

CDC interventions could have contributed to enhanced scores in math as well as reading and spelling. Nevertheless, with a sample size of forty-seven students, it is not possible to draw definitive conclusions regardless of what is being tested. To truly assess the impact of this factor, the test would need to be administered to a group consisting of over 500 students.

The study by Vogel, Greenwood-Erickson, Cannon-Bowers, and Bowers (2006) aimed to determine if the findings on Video Games & Academic Achievement 16 were applicable to non simulation-based game designs. The research used a quasi-experimental design and focused on a specific category of games called Computer-assisted Instruction (CA') games. These games have features like motivation, reward, interactivity, score, and challenge. The participants in this study were forty-four children aged seven to twelve who attended a public elementary school in Florida - twenty-five females and nineteen males.

In the group, there were twelve second graders, thirteen third graders, nine fourth graders, and ten fifth graders. Every student took a pre-test covering language arts and mathematics. The language arts part focused on comprehending key ideas in stories, recognizing important supporting details and facts, and arranging events chronologically. The math section tackled algebraic thinking, describing and analyzing patterns, relationships, graphs, symbols, and functions.

The test consisted of fifteen questions and the students were given fifteen minutes per section to complete it. The control group used the CIA program, while the experimental group used a program with gaming attributes. This lasted for two week sessions, with students participating in the program for ten minutes per day and receiving basic instructions. After the last session, students were given paper posters

(similar to the pretest but with different questions) in the same format. The test was based on FACT in content, format, and order (P. 08-109). The results and conclusions did not show any significance. There was no substantial difference in language arts skills between the groups on the pre- and post-assessments. The study found that language arts skills did not differ meaningfully under any condition. The controlled group performed significantly better on math posters compared to the pretest, while the experimental group showed no significant difference (P. 109-114). The fact that both groups were using a program in addition to their daily curriculum surprised me.

Initially, I anticipated that one group of students would undergo testing on the impact of CIA utilization in enhancing their motivation to learn, while the other group would not receive any intervention. Surprisingly, both groups demonstrated enhanced performance in mathematics as a result of incorporating virtual reality into their classrooms. This indicates the potential for virtual reality to be employed in teaching mathematical concepts. Conversely, language arts did not yield similar successful outcomes. A plausible explanation for this is that verbal instruction tends to benefit reading and writing processes more than electronic assistance.

This section explores three studies that analyzed the impact of video game usage on academic achievement and attitude towards academics. The studies also considered how these effects differ between males and females, as they tend to have distinct perspectives and usage patterns when it comes to video games. The initial study, conducted by Soakings & Animations (2007), aimed to assess the effects of a simulation-games environment on students' mathematics achievement and attitudes in secondary school.

The researchers

aimed to determine if there was a discrepancy in math achievement and attitude between students who experienced a simulation-game environment and those in the control group. They performed pre- and post-assessments to validate the results and also examined test retest reliability. The study included 147 secondary students from la-Orangutan Township of the Local Government Area of Sun State. As part of the methodology, students were exposed to the program for forty minutes each day over three weeks.

Two pre-tests were given to both groups to evaluate their achievement level and attitudes towards mathematics. After the pre-tests, both groups were provided with the same text material on the program topics. In Group 1, a ten to fifteen-minute introduction and discussion of the lesson was conducted by the teacher. Following this, students formed smaller groups of 4-5 people and used programmed materials. These groups did not have a designated leader, and after twenty minutes of discussion, each student worked individually on a class exercise which was later collected by the teacher for grading.

Group 2 (experiment group) started similarly to Group 1. However, they added a dice toss to determine the order in which students would take turns. Each student would roll the dice, and their turn would be determined by the number they rolled, starting from the second highest and going down to the lowest. Once all students had taken their turns, the process would repeat. Following a twenty-minute discussion, students would work individually on a class exercise, which the teacher would collect and grade (P. 116). Notably, there were noticeable results and conclusions.

The pre-assessment scores for achievement and attitude revealed no significant differences between

the two groups. However, there was a distinct disparity in math achievement on class tests during the research period, primarily observed in the experimental group. Additionally, there was a substantial discrepancy in post-test achievement scores, indicating that students in the experimental group outperformed those in the control group. In terms of pre-attitude test scores, no notable variations were detected among the groups.

The post-attitude scores indicated a significant disparity between the experiment group and control group, with the former achieving higher scores. This suggests that the simulation game group experienced more positive attitude development. Despite this outcome, both hypotheses put forth in this study were rejected (P. 116-117). Another investigation carried out by Smyth (2007) in this particular section examined the influence of playing different video games on academics, health, game usage, well-being, sleep, and colonization. The study enlisted one hundred university student volunteers.

Out of the 100 students, there were 73 males and 27 females. Their ages varied from eighteen to twenty, with an average age of 19.2. About 68% of them identified as Caucasian. The students were randomly selected to play arcade, console (like Plantation), computer, or multiplayer online games. Arcade players had to go to the arcade for their gaming sessions, while the other games were given to them. They were told to play for at least one hour per week for a month.