Video Presentation (original post 11/16/09)

link to video presentation

Video Presentation Annotated References

Barbour, M., Rieber, L. Thomas, G., & Rauscher, D. (2009). Homemade PowerPoint games: A constructionist alternative to webquests. TechTrends, 53(5), 44-59. Involving students in the instructional process in a deep and meaningful way is essential for learning. The authors of this study examine a constructivist approach to games as a learning tool for students. The article outlines ways teachers can engage students in developing games using PowerPoint and how to use open-source and collaboration to share created presentation games. The technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) framework is used to show how presentation games are used to address the three types of knowledge, e.g. technology, pedagogy, and content. Additionally, the article contains valuable resources to promote the use of student-created content, such as the WWILD Team Community Page (http://it.coe.uga.edu/wwild/). The article is included in the references to further promote constructionist learning approaches and games into the instructional process.

Brag, L. (2007). Students’ conflicting attitudes towards games as a vehicle for learning mathematics: A methodological dilemma. Mathematics Education Journal, 19(1), 29-44. How a student views a learning approach is an important element to consider when incorporating games into the classroom. Students in grades five and six participated in the mixed-method study on attitudes towards educational games. Interestingly, the author found that students generally had negative attitudes towards the value of using games to help understand mathematics when surveyed; however, qualitative interviews revealed the opposite to be true. The research study is included because an important fact is illustrated: students and teachers need to understand the purpose and reasons for incorporating games into instruction. If either the teacher or the student does not value games as a learning tool then negative attitudes or possibly a decrease in performance could result. Also, surveys may not be the best way to gauge a young student’s feelings and instead a qualitative interview should be used whenever possible.

Ke, F., & Grabowski, B. (2007). Gameplaying for maths learning: cooperative or not?. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(2), 249-259. An interesting aspect of using games in the classroom is the ability to incorporate social skills and cooperative learning strategies. The study included students in grade five in a study of Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT) and student attitudes towards math. The Attitudes Towards Maths Inventory (ATMI) was modified and used to measure each participants feelings about math before and after the treatment. Students were divided into one of three groups: competitive, cooperative, or a control and the results were compared using various statistical tests. The authors conclude that cooperative learning and games provided the best environment to improve student attitudes and performance in mathematics. The research study is included to support the inclusion of games into math instruction using research proven best practices.

Lavin-Mera, P., Torrente, J., Moreno-Ger, P., Vallejo, J. A. , & Fernández-Manjón, B. (2009). Mobile game development for multiple devices in education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 4(2), 19-26.The least utilized device for electronic learning is the cell phone. Due to the popularity of mobile devices, developing learning tools that are specific or adaptable to portable platforms is an area that must be explored. The authors of the study weigh the benefits of developing games and applications based on constructivist theories while providing justification for future projects. One interesting component of the article is the combination of a desktop platform and mobile devices, which would be especially useful in helping students connect school learning with the outside world. The justification for including this article in the references is that technology is not only a valid instructional tool, but also educational games can be used in a variety of formats. One limitation of current initiatives is the wide range of operating systems and hardware capabilities of mobile devices which may inhibit universal applications.

Muñoz Rosario, R.A. & Windmeyer, G.R. (2009). An exploratory review of design principles in constructivist gaming learning environments. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(3), 289-300.The authors of the study discuss the key design components that are necessary to creating engaging and meaningful educational games. Five Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMORG) and two educational games were examined based on their incorporation of the twelve design principles of the Constructivist Learning Gaming Environment. The qualitative design focused on popular MMORG’s to show the level to which each game adhered to the design principles and as a justification for further inquiry. The study is included to outline the crucial components needed to create a valuable and comprehensive educational game.

Scholz, M., Niesch, H., Steffen, O., Ernst, B., Loeffler, M., Witruk, E., et al. (2008). Impact of chess training on mathematics performance and concentration ability of children with learning disabilities. International Journal of Special Education, 23(3), 138-148. Games that utilizes the latest software and design principles are not necessary to promote learning gains. Children with learning disabilities and an IQ between 70 and 85 participated in the research study to determine if chess instruction significantly improved mathematic ability. Participants in the quantitative study received weekly one hour chess lessons over the course of one academic year. In addition to the experimental group, a control group was used for comparison. The results of the study indicate that students may improve basic computational skills and counting by receiving chess lessons. The authors conclude that the positive results will enable research into a larger sample group and students without learning disabilities. The study is included in the review to illustrate that high levels of technology are not required to incorporate educational games into the curriculum.

References

Anderson, T. (Ed.). (2008). The theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Barbour, M., Rieber, L. Thomas, G., & Rauscher, D. (2009). Homemade PowerPoint games: A constructionist alternative to webquests. TechTrends, 53(5), 44-59.

Brag, L. (2007). Students’ conflicting attitudes towards games as a vehicle for learning mathematics: A methodological dilemma. Mathematics Education Journal, 19(1), 29-44.

Crawford, C. (1996). The art of computer game design. Retrieved November 1, 2009 from, http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Coverpage.html#TOC

Demski, J. (2009). Learning to speak math. T.H.E. Journal, 36(8), 18-22.

Gobet, F., De Voogt, A.J., & Retschitzki, J. (2004). Moves in mind: The psychology of board games (pp. 3-4). New York: Psychology Press.

Ke, F., & Grabowski, B. (2007). Gameplaying for maths learning: cooperative or not?. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(2), 249-259.

Lavin-Mera, P., Torrente, J., Moreno-Ger, P., Vallejo, J. A. , &

Fernández-Manjón, B. (2009). Mobile game development for multiple devices in education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 4(2), 19-26.

Muñoz Rosario, R.A. & Windmeyer, G.R. (2009). An exploratory review of design principles in constructivist gaming learning environments. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(3), 289-300.

Rand, D., Weiss, P. L., & Katz, N. (2009). Training multitasking in a virtual supermarket: A novel intervention after stroke. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(5), 535-548.

Schiffer, A. (2006). A heuristic taxonomy of computer games. Retrieved November 1, 2009 from, http://www.ferzkopp.net/joomla/content/view/77/15/

Scholz, M., Niesch, H., Steffen, O., Ernst, B., Loeffler, M., Witruk, E., et al. (2008). Impact of chess training on mathematics performance and concentration ability of children with learning disabilities. International Journal of Special Education, 23(3), 138-148.