Games In Classroom Research Articles

Plant Madness: A Classroom Game Using Bracketology for Horticulture Plant Identification Courses

Plant Madness was a classroom activity developed and implemented for the Landscape Plants II identification course at Kansas State University. The game was modeled after the National Collegiate Athletic Association college basketball March Madness tournament and Bracketology. One activity objective was to provide students an opportunity to learn new and recent cultivars and plant species not specifically covered in the class curriculum. The activity also provided students opportunities to practice public speaking skills, an avenue to be creative, and simply have fun in class. In Plant Madness, each student randomly drew a plant from a hat and then students were randomly assigned tournament seed rankings (preliminary rankings). On specified game days, one student played against another student, each having 2 minutes of play. Student play varied, and consisted of defining different plant attributes, landscape appeal, and interesting facts, for example; or identifying the opposing student’s plant’s faults through riddles, poems, games, songs, or simply recitation. Referees (e.g., guest faculty, graduate students) reviewed student play and awarded points, and the student with the highest score advanced to the next round through the single-elimination tournament. A postactivity survey was administered [Spring 2016 and 2017 (n = 44)] to obtain student feedback. When asked if the students liked the activity, it was nearly unanimous, 98% liked Plant Madness. Similarly, most students (93%) self-reported the activity increased their awareness of new or recent plant cultivars. When asked to rate the activity compared with other class approaches for learning different plants based on a scale of 1 (excellent) to 5 (poor), the average rating was 1.8. Students’ average rating for their ability to be creative for Plant Madness was 1.8 (1 = to a large extent, 5 = not at all). Ninety-five percent of the students recommended repeating the activity.

Gamificação no Ensino de Matemática: das Diretrizes Curriculares do Paraná à sala de aula, via Plano de Trabalho Docente

O objetivo do presente artigo é apresentar os resultados parciais de um trabalho que integra a linha de pesquisa "Ensino de Linguagens e suas Tecnologias” (PPGENS/UNOPAR) e tem como objetivo elaborar e aplicar, em sala de aula, um Plano de Trabalho Docente, sugerido pelas Diretrizes Curriculares do Estado do Paraná, tendo como conteúdo programático a teoria da geometria plana, na disciplina de Matemática. A pesquisa se justifica pelas dificuldades apresentadas pelos alunos do 6º e 7º anos do Ensino Fundamental, com esse conteúdo programático. Assim, fomos a campo, por meio de uma pesquisa qualitativa, aplicada via pesquisa-ação, adotamos a gamificação como ferramenta, a favor do processo de ensino e de aprendizagem, visando atrelar teoria e prática. O construto epistemológico versa sobre a teoria da gamificação e o ensino. Após a aplicação do Plano de Trabalho Docente, o resultado indicou a proficuidade do trabalho com jogos em sala de aula, visto que houve um aumento significativo do interesse e motivação dos alunos para seus estudos, bem como a apropriação de conceitos da área que foram essenciais para a formação discente.

Jogos na alfabetização matemática para estudantes com deficiência visual numa perspectiva inclusiva

Mathematical literacy for students with visual impairments is a challenge to the teacher’s regular education, since literacy that student happens with literacy students without disabilities. Anxious to help the teacher regular education is this task, this article presents some reflections on the use of classroom games, as a methodological resource for mathematical literacy, as well as presents some games which can be adapted to the mathematical discipline for students with visual impairment. The work was developed from bibliographic research and professional experience in a Multifunctional Resource Room Type II, which provides specialized care for students with visual impairment. Checked that, used appropriately, the games contribute to the process of teaching and learning mathematics for students with disabilities that, are considered some necessary care in its use.

Free-rider Problem in Classroom Games - Impact of Gender and Intergroup Conditions

Behavioural experiments in the field of provision of public goods (including free rider problem) help to uncover the underlying processes and forces determining the nature of economy in the public sector. The objective of this paper is to determine the impact of gender and intergroup conditions on the extent of cooperation in standard linear public goods game using the voluntary contribution mechanism. Design of the teaching experiment is based on the methodology of Špalek (2011) with some modification. There were 80 undergraduate students of business participating in the classroom game, age range 20–22 years. Students were divided into three independent groups by 26 to 27 participants. Each group was playing independently, and individual strategies were recorded. We used the nonparametric tests (Mann‑Whitney U test and Kruskal‑Wallis Test) to analyse the differences between the gender and groups. Findings do not show statistically significant difference based on gender. On the other hand, the intergroup conditions determined by the social dynamics and discussion have significant influence on the distribution of goods. Results bring strong evidence on the importance of social and political factors influencing the pro‑social behaviour in the society.

How to Play with Maritime English: The Jeopardy Game

Engaging students with game-based activities increases involvement and leads to better language acquisition. Besides providing some variety to standard textbook tasks, playful activities are meant to revive the English classroom, to encourage learners to interact and cooperate in a competitive way, and to be more spontaneous and creative.1 The present paper instructs on how to create and use the Jeopardy game in the ESP classroom, as a fun activity aimed at improving students’ maritime vocabulary mastery by means of enhancing their vocabulary comprehension and production, and developing their professional communication skills.

Exploring digital nativeness as a predictor of digital game-based L2 vocabulary acquisition

ABSTRACT Although the “digital natives” theory is still used to justify the implementation of technologies such as video games in the language classroom, whether digital nativeness (i.e. the extent to which an individual embodies the characteristics attributed to digital natives) may be used as a predictor of digital game-based learning outcomes is to be analysed. An empirical study was conducted to test the predictive strength of some attributes of digital nativeness, as determined by Teo’s (2013) Digital Native Assessment Scale, on L2 vocabulary acquisition and on educational engagement. A vocabulary learning game was played by 86 university EFL students, who additionally completed post- and delayed knowledge tests on the vocabulary contained in the game, the DNAS questionnaire, and questions on educational disengagement and perceived need for technology-related changes. The regression analysis revealed that the factor “able to multitask” was a predictor of poorer L2 vocabulary acquisition, whereas the factors “comfortable with technology” and “thrive on instant gratifications and rewards” had a positive impact on learning outcomes. Additionally, the analysis showed that none of the attributes of digital natives that make up the DNAS could predict either students’ disengagement with the educational system or their perceived need for technology-based changes in education.

The great American health care debate: A classroom game to explore risk and insurance

Health insurance policy is a current topic of concern for the United States. The classroom game discussed here provides students with a thorough understanding of some of the policy options under debate, in addition to demonstrating the classic problem of adverse selection. Students received probabilities of encountering a variety of medical expenses, based on their randomly assigned fictitious person’s age and health status. In each round, students made insurance decisions and then rolled dice to determine outcomes for each possible medical expense. The experiment considered insurance with an individual mandate, insurance without an individual mandate, insurance where students could purchase à la carte coverage mimicking proposed insurance riders for certain coverage, and insurance where pre-existing conditions were not covered.

War and Peace in Canaan: Connecting geography with political and military affairs in ancient Israel through a classroom game

AbstractThis essay provides a brief overview of an educational board game developed by the author for use in upper division Old Testament classes. The game, extending in stages across the semester, heightens student learning by requiring strategic thinking about various historical, political, and geographical relationships. Appendices and links to online material provide full details necessary to adapt the game in local classrooms.

6.5 The Good Behavior Game: How It Works and What It Does for Psychiatric Disorders

Pediatric psychiatric disorders are increasing every 2 years. Can a fun, well-tested classroom game invented in 1969 reduce these disorders? The answer is “yes.” In this session, participants will learn the following: 1) how the game works; 2) the breadth of longitudinal outcomes; and 3) how to scale up the game. The game is played during regular school instruction. Teachers divide children into 2 to 5 teams per classroom, balancing teams with high-achieving, shy, and disruptive students. The teams work to increase PAX (“peace, productivity, health, and happiness”). If the teacher counts 3 or fewer “spleems” (disruptive behaviors that reduce PAX) per team, the team wins. Rewards vary from written notes praising an individual child to permission for the team to engage in activities not usually allowed during class (eg, tapping a pencil on a desk or throwing paper balls). These activities use peer reinforcement to socialize children. The entire intervention uses positive and playful language. Notes praising a child are called“tootles,” and the rewards for good behavior (pencil tapping, ball throwing) are called “Granny’s wacky prizes.” PAX language directed at teachers and parents is positive and aspirational. PAX materials refer to 4 of the following miracles that happen when children go to school: 1) learning to read; 2) learning to write; 3) learning mathematics; and 4) “acquiring the mental ability to sustain attention, self-regulate or self-manage, and cooperate with others intentionally.” The breadth of longitudinal outcomes was based on multiple RCTs by colleagues at Johns Hopkins and real-world implementations. Population-level implementation of the game shows that it is possible for public or private entities to cost-effectively prevent or treat DSM-5-classified multiple disorders.

A professional development model to facilitate teacher adoption of interactive, immersive digital games for classroom learning

AbstractThe benefits of using digital games in the curriculum are well documented in literature. Most teachers who use digital games use short‐form drill‐and‐practice learning games rather than the kinds of games most students would choose to play in their free time. The use of more interactive, immersive digital games (IDGs) in classrooms tends to be sporadic, dependent upon the enthusiasm and ingenuity of individual teachers. Previous studies have indicated that many teachers have concerns about using digital games in classrooms and have difficulties knowing how to best use digital games. This qualitative study presents a professional development model for teachers that was inductively derived through analysing in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with 13 educators who have used digital games in the classroom. Implementing this model can help teachers develop attitudes and skills necessary to meaningfully use interactive, IDGs in their classrooms. Evidence suggests that a mentor should have a strong understanding of how to use digital games effectively in classrooms, work with small cohorts of teachers to collegially plan the use of digital games within a unit of class work, trial the unit of work with a small number of enthusiastic teachers, and then implement it with the remaining teachers. This approach is based on interviews with educators who have successfully mentored teachers in their schools to use interactive, IDGs in their classrooms. These educators encountered little resistance from their teaching colleagues. Their approach further supported teachers who were open to the possibilities of using digital games in their classrooms.

Using classroom game play in introductory microeconomics to enhance business student learning and lecture attendance

The author examined whether game play improves students’ comprehension, attendance, and exam performance. The author designed three games; 120 students in introductory microeconomics classes participated in these experiments. The evidence showed that game play enhances students’ attendance, comprehension, and exam performance. It also showed that attendance and exam performance are positively correlated, implying that game play enhances students’ exam performance due to improved attendance. While game play is a fun, lively, and creative way to teach economics and improve students’ attendance, comprehension, and exam performance, in light of higher costs, instructors should decide whether the benefits of conducting game play outweigh the costs of using this method.

Traditional games in elementary school: Relationships of student's personality traits, motivation and experience with learning outcomes.

This study promotes a novel teaching approach for integration of children’s traditional games in elementary school program. It gives description of six traditional games and their educational prospects, implemented in six learning sessions in five elementary schools in Macedonia, involving 102 students. The comparison of learning achievements between these learning sessions and standard classes revealed increased students’ learning performance on comparable topics. To understand the reason for improvement, we have surveyed students after each session and tested the gathered data set via the development of a structural equation model that examines the relationships between student’s personality traits, motivation and experience with learning outcomes. The findings show that students’ achievements were directly influenced by students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors, as well as perceived experience. Additionally, the integration of traditional games in the elementary school classroom was equally accepted among all students, since their personality traits did not directly influence their experience or learning outcomes. Still, the link between the students’ personality dimensions and motivation revealed that introvert children might have slightly increased motivation and possibility to open up during game-play in such collaborative environments.

ІГРОВІ ТРЕНІНГИ У ПІДВИЩЕННІ МОТИВАЦІЇ ЩОДО ВИВЧЕННЯ АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ МОВИ

Motivation is one of the vital factors in learning a language, the feelings and excitement offered by extra enthusiasm for students to learn a second language in a better way. For the past twenty years, teaching methods have been developed to enhance the students’ motivation with the purpose of improving their language skills. Using games in ESL classroom is one of such methods supplementing the teaching-learning process. In this article, we examined how gamified method of teaching ESL may affect the attitude of university students towards the language and their level of motivation. The study was conducted to 112 freshmen of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. The design of this study was quantitative in nature that employed two questionnaires as a measuring instrument. The participants were required to answer all the items of the questionnaires, giving their own perceptions about 1) their experience of learning English and 2) their attitudes toward using games in learning English to boost their learning motivation. The obtained data revealed that using gamified training sessions was mostly successful in enhancing students’ motivation in learning English and the majority of students revealed positive attitudes to using games in language learning. Only 6% of students wrote in the descriptive questions that they did not build confidence and their level of interest in English learning remained low during the training sessions. It is very important that students mentioned that their level of motivation and confidence increased and they felt much more secure and safe. The total percentage of students who revealed increased motivation and confidence after Kahoot-based training sessions was 66%; 28% of students remained neutral and 6% of students wrote in the descriptive questions that they did not build confidence and their level of interest in English learning remained low during the training sessions. The fact that a vast majority of students revealed positive attitudes to using games in language learning suggests that this method could be of use when utilized systematically over the academic year. However, university teachers should try various approaches and strategies to create a supportive learning environment in the classroom where learners feel interested, safe and secure to set and pursue their learning goals. In our further research, we will try to investigate other methods of keeping students motivated and engaged in ESL learning.

Getting Serious About Serious Games: Best Practices for Computer Games in Reading Classrooms

AbstractComputer games and computer‐assisted instruction have become prevalent in reading classrooms. However, research‐based guidance for teacher use of such resources has not progressed at the same rate. In lieu of research, myths circulate about the utility of these resources, particularly when students use computer games independently. The authors synthesize research regarding computer games for young readers and particularly focus on issues of classroom implementation. This article is structured as a series of myths regarding expectations and best practices with computer games. The authors then present research findings to refute the myths and conclude with practical recommendations for teachers. Final recommendations emphasize the need for young readers to interact more, with adults and peers, in order for the learning that occurs in the computer environment to transfer to authentic reading activities. The authors encourage teachers to draw on pedagogical and content knowledge to be critical consumers of computer resources.

Promoting preschoolers' numerical knowledge through spatial analogies: Numbers’ spatial alignment influences its learning

The development of early numerical representations is a complex cognitive process whereby children acquire numerical competences. To establish whether analogy making plays a role in this process of learning, we devised a classroom game based on an analysis of a number-line analogy that leverages children' spatial intuitions for helping them understand the numbers. To investigate the role of spatial positioning along the number line, seventy-seven preschoolers were randomly assigned to control tasks (control condition) or to embodied number line tasks in two possible spatial locations: watching numbers increasing either from left to right (space-number alignment condition) or from right to left (space-number misalignment condition). Performing learning activities for roughly two hours promoted children's proficiency in four tasks of numerical knowledge, but only children under spatial and numerical alignment increased their proficiency in a task of number line estimation. This finding shows that the numerical representations generated by children during training were integrated with spatial information that was implicit in the learning activities, thus revealing that analogical alignments play a key role in the formation of early numerical representations. Additionally, this study illustrates that interrogating the analogy at the foundation of an instructional activity highlights key instructional decisions that can have a large impact on learning. Future research along this line might provide a framework for using analogy at the foundations of instructional design.

Chemistry Games in the Classroom: A Pilot Study

In this study a game-based learning approach was introduced among students and teachers. Several chemistry games and a survey method were used as a tool to obtain insight into students’ knowledge about ionic bonding, to learn about the students’ and teachers’ perceptions related to this teaching method and to get insights into the misunderstanding and misconceptions that students might have. Students were tested on the ionic bonding test and both students and teachers anonymously filled in a questionnaire to express their perceptions about the game-based learning approach. Students achievements on the test were satisfactory; the mean score was 11.31 out of 15 (or 75.33 %). Most comments regarding the lesson itself were positive, stating that the lesson was well planned, interesting and very helpful. The usage of games in chemistry classroom was proven to be an excellent way to motivate students, to provide active engagement and discussion among students and to develop skills to solve problems.

The Narrative History of the Chocolate Wars: A Short and Tasty Bargaining Game

ABSTRACTThis single lesson classroom game is designed to test student knowledge of Realist and Liberal concepts through an imbalanced resource bargaining mechanic. The game is designed for approximately 20 students divided into state teams of three to four students each and uses chocolate to represent the state teams’ economic capacity, military capability, and human security. Each state team had competing goals, over which they must cooperate or conflict for additional pieces. This game also uses an abstract design to maximize active learning through a short course of play while also making the game useful for testing concepts at any point in an International Relations course. In addition to offering a complete yet easily modifiable game for classroom use, this article also describes the game’s pedagogical contribution to the discipline, game design notes, and techniques for preventing students from stuffing their faces with game pieces.

‘But this isn’t school’: exploring tensions in the intersection between school and leisure activities in classroom game design

ABSTRACTWhile there are several positive outcomes from implementing game design in a formal learning context, there are also challenges that have to be considered in order to improve game-based learning. This is explored in the article, using the concepts of activity frames and stancetaking, focusing on the social organization of the game design activity. Building on video data from one 6th grade class and one 7th grade class designing computer games based on their social studies curriculum, this article shows that tensions arise when students fail to agree on what the activity they are doing is really about: The academic content and what students commonly perceive as school activities, or a game design activity informed by their leisure time. The main argument is that the students position themselves as students, game designers or characters, and that this may cause tensions in the students’ social interactions.

Digital Board Game: Is there a need for it in language learning among tertiary level students?

The concept of learning while playing to learn language is a pedagogy that can enhance students’ learning interest. In this digital era, the use of board games, for instance, has provided a solution to learning a language. A considerable literature has grown up around the theme of digital board in language learning. Therefore, this paper aims at finding the significance of developing a digital board game for the purpose of vocabulary learning. Fifty-seven (57) students from Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) were selected as samples using purposive random sampling to collect data for the current study. A questionnaire was employed to explore their needs of a digital board game to learn vocabulary. The findings revealed that digital board game has significant needs among students to learn vocabulary, and further support the idea of using digital board game in language classroom. Majority of them believed that digital board game may provide a significant impact on vocabulary learning. Overall, the current study proves to be particularly valuable to language teachers to incorporate digital board game into their instructional activity. Also, these findings suggest a role for interactive learning in motivating language learner to enrich their vocabulary size.

After-School and Informal STEM Projects: the Effect of Participant Self-Selection

This research represents an unforeseen outcome of the authors’ National Science Foundation Innovation Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program grant in science education. The grant itself focused on the use of serious educational games (SEGs) in the science classroom, both during and after school, to teach science content and affect student perceptions of science and technology. This study consists of a Bayesian artificial neural network analysis, using the preintervention measures of affect, interest, personality, and cognitive ability, in members of both the treatment and comparison groups to generate the probabilities that students would opt into the treatment group or choose not to participate. It appears, from this sample and the sampling methods of other related studies within the field, that despite sometimes profound results from technology interventions in science, interventions are affecting only those who already have a strong interest in STEM due to the manner in which participants are recruited.