CECS 6010 - Research Paper Example

CECS 6010 Question: Do video games lead to the positive result or lead to the negative result? Central claim: Video games should be includedin the learning process,, because they attract students, increase their motivation to study and help use their knowledge in practice . Reason1: Traditional learning very often fails to make students interesting in what they are doing in class. The lack of such interest can result in ineffective learning. Students simply present in the classroom, but do not acquire any knowledge. They need special motivation, which can be provided by video games. Games provide the types of motivation, which often do no’t exist in the traditional learning. These include extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, and they satisfy players’ psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness independently). These needs related to videogames make students finish the activity as technology-dependent students (Apostol, Zaharescu, & Alexe, 2013). Videogames have the possibility to teach both formal and informal academic and non-academic skills, and, as fun tool, they motivate students to be more collaborative, promote social learning, share information, and increase their attainments (Kebritch, Hirumi, & Bai, 2010). Video games have the ability to evoke feelings of strong emotional bonds as a part of the students’ experience (Bengoechea, 2009). Learning starts bringing emotions like any other pleasant occupation. Students begin to like the leaning process itself and acquire the motivation. Ground1:  In Japan a mixed method was used to investigate the impact of integrating videogames into an existing curriculum, and two researches were conducted. In Study 1 (n = 9), new words were included in task sheets. Study 2 (n = 11) included the tasks on vocabulary. the results showed that the learners were affected positively (Hitosugi, Schmidt, & Hayashi, 2014). According to Mifsud (2013), an group of the research participants, who applied videogames in Malta demonstrated considerable improvement in the study of English as a Second Language in comparison to those learners, who were offered usual approach. 79.1 % of 1163 students with an age range between 11-16 years feel that video games can provide them with an opportunity for and help them acquire new skills , and 77.5% of 149 teachers believe that students can learn from videogames in class. Furthermore, 83% of 783 parents also believed that educational videogames have become an important tool in classroom learning. Gjedde (2014) conducted a research on Danish public secondary school that use mixed method of the qualitative case study, and surveys evaluations every week to implement curriculum, and models of educational live action role play (edu‐LARP). Approximately 98 students participated in the research. About 91% of students said that they were motivated by the game to make an extra effort. Also in the final survey 55 % of the learners state that they felt motivated by gaining points to win the competition, 32% states that they felt motivated by the collaborative work to make extra efforts, while other motivating factors included the learning achieved 16 % and the fun of the game itself 13% (Gjedde,2014.P. 156). Reason 2: Videogame environment is able to enhance students’ cognitive skills, and improve solving problem of school curriculum. Video games provide students with some kind of practical experience, which help them understand the material better. Griffiths states that “Some evidence suggests that important skills may be built or reinforced by videogames. For example, spatial visualization ability ( i. e mentally rotating and manipulating two- and three-dimensional objects) improve with video game playing” (Griffiths, 2002, p.47). In order for the knowledge to be acquired, the material should not be just learned by heart, but tried in practice. Video games allow to do that already in class. This helps student become more comprehensively developed personalities (Al- Washmi, Baines, Organ, Hopkins, & Blanchfield, 2014). Ground 2: van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Kolovou, & Robitzsch (2013) carried out the study to solve a sequence of early algebra problems at home of the five schools that consisted of 253 students participants of age 10-12. Students were tested before and after the intervention. The problems were showed on a worksheet, so that students could write down their answers. Students measured their performance by a paper and pencil test, and they demonstrated significant gain of performance of all grade after the intervention of Online learning game. (van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Kolovou, & Robitzsch, 2013, p.287). Eseryel, Law, Ifenthaler, Ge, & Miller, (2014) carried out empirical research to investigate complex problem solving development on 88 students of ninth grade of high school in the Midwest of the U.S. Students gained significant increase in the quality of problem representation after playing online videogame McLarin’s Adventures (MMOG). The participants received the pretest of the complex problem scenario before playing game. After that they watched video that announced the competition by videogame. Then the participants played videogame, and then they constructed their solution as posttest solution of the complex problem.( Eseryel, Law, Ifenthaler, Ge, & Miller, 2014, p.46) Reason3: Virtual and simulation videogames provide safe real environment, and they are able to decrease the time and money of training. Students do not have to go anywhere to try their knowledge in practice. They just have a perfect opportunity to do that at once not wasting time and financial resources. Such virtual training appear to be very useful in the certain fields of activity (Vaz de Carvalho, Lopes, & Ramos, 2014). Ground3: Belanich, Orvis, & Sibley, (2013) conducted project to train twenty-one participants of 19-29 years to be military. Participants used PC-based game to identify army background information, virtual weapons familiarization, and virtual marksmanship training. The findings revealed that the game provided great training, simulation, interactive strategies (Belanich, Orvis, & Sibley, 2013, p 206). Boon-itt, (2012) organized the project to teach 30 students the Production and Operation Management (POM) course by playing simulation game. The purpose was to teach students real experience instead of direct lecture course related to engineering and operations. Students were divided into three groups, and they studied the theories in order to understand the natural of game planning. After playing the stimulation game students responded to the questions they received at beginning. , The results revealed that in comparison with normal lecturing students improved their knowledge by studying the theories in the real environment (P.110). Reason4: The features of videogames help students with disability, and chronic patients acquire skills, manage their behavior and attention, and may become more effective in increasing the students physical activity through the use of exergaming and by means of interactive video games (Cai, & Kornspan,2012). Also, videogames are able to develop the positive aspects of interactions, and mitigate isolation particularly for the hospitalist students (González-González, Toledo-Delgado, Collazos-Ordoñez, & González-Sánchez, 2014). The games are very helpful for students with autism as Griffiths points out: “Videogames have been used in comprehensive programs to help develop social skills in children and adolescence who are severely retarded or who have severe developmental problems like autism” (Griffiths, 2002, p. 48). This disproves the well-known statement that video games are very harmful for children and can course only aggression. Ground4: Marino, Israel, Beecher, & Basham (2013), investigated how students reading ability level, including the students with disability, is connected their playing video games at home and their attitude towards the use of video games in the process of learning in class. The research was conducted in 14 states, 34 instructors and more than 870 learners participated in it. The majority of learners stated that they want to learn the material from a video game rather than from traditional learning the from textbooks, laboratory studies, or even Internet. Experiential study used different techniques to collect data (tests, interviews, observation, and video recording). It consisted of ten participants of nine to sixteen years old. Videogames improved positive expression, satisfaction, effectiveness, motivation, socialization, emotions and learning ability. By using the scale of (1-0) to evaluate the experience of the playability, students raised their satisfaction, where their motivation was about (0.97), immersion (0.96), emotion 0.95, effectiveness (1), learner ability (0.52). Students also presented the high score of cooperation and neutral expression. Griffiths provides the evidence of positive results received by students with autism when playing video games. This argument disproves the fact that the use of video games should be restricted as they can be only harmful for students: “Case studies such as those by Demarest are persuasive. Demarest’s account of her own autistic 7-year old son reported that although he had serious deficiences in language and understading, and social and emotional difficulties, videogame playing was one activity he was able to excel. This was ego-boosting for him and also had a self-calming effect” (Griffiths, 2002, p. 48). Scientists often state that video games cause aggression, therefore, children should spend near the computer as little time as possible. However, the above-mentioned information shows that it is not always so. Children with autism tend to express aggression and nervousness but the computer does not contribute to this state. On the contrary it helps them calm down. Claim2: Teachers should use videogames as an integrated technology tool in their classroom. Video games are preferred at home, and this may encourage students to enjoy school (Patriarca, Di Giuseppe, Albano, Marinelli, & Angelillo, 2009). Reason1-2: Videogames are the one of the most-preferred types of technology used for playing at home , and are a common pastime for adolescents (Bengoechea, 2009, Drummond, & Sauer, 2014). Moreover, even the students with autism spend about 2.5 hours per day playing computer games at home. This testifies that including video games into learning process only contributes to students’ development in they are used in moderation (Mazurek, & Wenstrup,2013). Ground1-2: According to Griffiths, “Most reported effects of videogames - particularly in the popular press – appear to centre upon the alleged negative consequences. These have included my own research into video game addiction, increased aggressiveness, and the various medical and psychosocial effects”. (Griffiths, 2002, p. 47) Even though 89% of teachers, before using the videogame, disagree with the idea that video games help develop the curriculum, experimental study indicated (posttest) that 76% of teachers fully agree with this idea and 69% stated that they will definitely start using video games in class. The study conducted in 2012 showed that after the experiment many teachers changed their minds about the video games and their use in the classroom (Díaz, & Martín-Párraga, 2014). Reason2-2: Teachers may not have enough experience with video games and their features to know that they may help as a tool in the classroom. Many teachers avoid using video games in class as consider this to be the waste of time. Instructors, especially the representatives of old generation, refuse from using video games in class considering them to be just an entertainment. It happens first of all due to the lack of experience in this area and the information got from mass media. Mass media regularly report cases of children’s aggression that is often explained by playing video games. Ground2-2: About 58 teachers were asked about their feelings about video games, and in an experimental study they indicated that they had changed their opinion as a result of their participation. Almost 62% of those asked indicated that their opinions had changed, with 95% of them indicating that it was for the positive that their feelings about video games had changed as a result of their participation (Kenny, & McDaniel, 2011.p 206). According to Annetta et al (2013), after video game experience a half of 51 teachers, who were non-gamers, recognized that games should be incorporated into the process of learning (Annetta et al, 2013, p 55). Conclusion: The conclusion can be made that due to their useful features, video games they can be considered as a preferred technology at home. They increase extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, satisfy players’ psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), promote collaboration, social learning, sharing of information, and increasing of attainments. In contrast to the traditional learning process, video games provide an interesting motivation. Video games evoke the feeling of strong emotional bonds with students’ experience in the classroom and increase the students physical activity. I believe that video games deserve to be integrated as a technology tool in the classroom. It does not mean that the traditional learning process should be significantly altered, but some changes should be implemented. The usual presentation of a new material can be accompanied by practical task in the form of a video game. Certainly, video games should be used in moderation, but should not be completely excluded from the learning process. In spite of the fact that teachers’ attitudes indicated the lack of videogame experience and the existence of a generation gap, the appropriate training in use of video games will make them change their attitude and start using videogames in class. References Al-Washmi, R. p., Baines, M. p., Organ, S. p., Hopkins, G. g., & Blanchfield, P. p. (2014). Mathematics Problem Solving Through Collaboration: Game Design and Adventure. Proceedings Of The European Conference On Games Based Learning, 11-9 Apostol, S. S., Zaharescu, L. I., & Alexe, I. L. (2013). Gamification of learning and educational games. Elearning & Software For Education 2, 67-72. Annetta, L. A., Frazier, W. M., Folta, E., Holmes, S., Lamb, R., & Cheng, M. (2013). Science teacher efficacy and extrinsic factors toward professional development using video games in a design-based research model: The next generation of STEM learning.  Journal Of Science Education And Technology, 22(1), 47-61. Bengoechea, J. (2009). 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