computer games boosts maths' scores

International Baccalaureate

IB World School

Druga gimnazija, Sarajevo

Subject: Information Technology In A Global Society

Candidate name: Admir Branković

Candidate number: 001258-005

Portfolio 1

Computer game boosts math’s scores

(Area of impact: Education)

December, 2008

News item: BBC, Computer game boosts maths scores, 25 September 2008,http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7635404.stm

Word Count: 993

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7635404.stm

Information Technology In A Global Society 001258-005

News Article

Computer game boosts maths scores

A daily dose of computer games can boost maths attainment, according to a study carried out in Scottish schools.

Learning and Teaching Scotland - the main organisation for the development of the curriculum - analysed the effect of a "brain training" game. It also found improvements in pupils' concentration and behaviour. The study involved more than 600 pupils in 32 schools across Scotland using the Brain Training from Dr Kawashima game on the Nintendo DS every day. The project followed a pilot study in Dundee last year.

LTS worked with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and the University of Dundee to see if the pilot results were replicated on a wider scale.

Improved scores

A group of pupils played the game, which included reading tests, problem-solving exercises and memory puzzles, for 20 minutes at the start of their class for nine weeks. A control group continued their lessons in a more traditional manner.The pupils were tested at the beginning and then the end of the study.

Researchers found that while all groups had improved their scores, the group using the game had improved by a further 50%. The time taken to complete the tests also dropped by five minutes, from 18.5 minutes to 13.5 minutes. The improvement in the games group was double that of the control group.

Less able children were found to be more likely to improve than the highest attainers and almost all pupils had an increased perception of their own ability. The study also found that it made no difference if the children had the game at home and noted no difference in ability between girls or boys. It found improvements in absence and lateness in some classes.

Derek Robertson, LTS's national adviser for emerging technologies and learning, said the results offered the first independent, academic evidence that this type of computer game could improve attainment when used in an educational context.

He said: "Computer games help flatten out the hierarchy that exists in schools - they are in the domain of the learner as opposed to the domain of the school.

"This intervention encouraged all children to engage and get success in a different contextual framework; one in which they don't know their place."

< http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7635404.stm >

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7635404.stm


Contents Page

News Article Page 1

Presentation of the Issue

The IT Background of the Issue Page 4

The Impact of the Issue Page 6

Solutions to Problems Arising from the Issue Page 8

Bibliography Page 9


A - Presentation of the Issue

A study in Scotland schools showed that children can raise their knowledge in math

trough education games. In 32 schools estimated 600 pupils used the game Dr Kawashima’s

Brain Training every 20 minutes at the start of their class for nine weeks. The project

followed a pilot study in Dundee1 last year. In the latest study, results were similar to the pilot

study. There were 2 groups, one playing the Kawashima game and the other one was a control

group that had the standard teaching. The result showed that both groups had improvements,

whereby the group that played the game had improved up to 50%. All groups had better

scores after 10 weeks but the biggest improvement was in the Kawashima group.

The problem is that the game may be too addictive to pupils, so they don’t pay

attention on classes, meaning for teachers, that pupils just want to continue playing the game.

According to this, parents don’t want that their children play any games at school, moreover

they want that children are educated on the standard way, and not wasting time on some video

game. That is the problem of skeptic parents, which are not sure in the efficiency of playing or

learning trough video games.

B - The IT Background of the Issue

1 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/news/2008/pressreleases/march/news_tcm4480706.asp


Pupils played the game Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training on a portable game console

Nintendo DS. The Nintendo DS was developed and manufactured by Nintendo and was

released in 2004 in the United States2. Last year Nintendo sold 65 million units3, and this year

it will be approximately 884 million units.

5

Picture 1: Brain Age Check

Nintendo DS started to make education games and the result was “Dr Kawashima

Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain game”. A Dr Kawashima game comprises a variety of

mini games where people train their brains. While playing you are solving math problems,

counting the number of people or objects in random situations, reading literature, etc. In game

users are expected to complete a brain age check once a day. Included are 11 brain training

games with over 100 Sudoku puzzles.6

The daily training sessions are all based on your brain age so depending on how tired

your grey matter is will depend on the level of difficulty you as the user will experience.

2 http://www.forevergeek.com/2004/09/official_nintendo_ds_release_date_price3 http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/080124e.pdf#page=84 http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/081030e.pdf#page=115 http://www.videogamer.com/ds/brain_training/screenshot-3.html6 http://www.realgamer.net/ds/reviews/Dr_Kawashimas_Brain_Training_How_Old_Is_Your_Brain.html


7

Picture 2: Addition game

When finished the daily session, you will see detailed results of how you played. If

you want to play with friends, there’s the multiplayer mode supporting up to 15 players 8. The

DS has also a microphone included for voice recognition.

9 10

Picture 3: Dr Kawashima’s BRAIN TRAINING GAME Picture 4: Nintendo DS Wi-Fi

C - The Impact of the Issue

7 http://www.videogamer.com/ds/brain_training/screenshot-1.html8 http://reviews.cnet.com/ds-games/brain-age-train-your/4505-10068_7-31694929.html9 http://www.gamespot.com/users/canand/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-2468148010 http://www.braintraining.com.au/what.html


Computer games at school are in the last period very attractive. But that children play

games during the school is for some parents positive and for other parents negative. Children

are using traditional school methods to learn like many generations before them used. Today’s

technology enables more features for children in school, like the study11 showed. Jules

Clarkson, international marketing director of Electronic Arts, said: “EA has recognized for a

long time the potential for computer games to stimulate teachers and students.”12 The time

solving tests dropped from 18.5 to 13.5 minutes. There was no difference if the children

played the game at home and that the absence and lateness were rapidly decreasing. On the

chart is the time taken for solving test, before the study and after it.

18.5

13.5

Time taken for solving testsTime used now (min) Time used before (min)

Derek Robertson, who devised the project, said that he was wondering on the results

that children showed in this short time. "It had a real calming effect on children in the class.“13

The advantage of using video games at school is that children are increasing their score; they

11 Study in Scotland for 32 schools12 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5398230.stm13 Mr. Robertson, teacher and university lecturer


have more fun in school so they are happier on the classes which results with more

willingness to be active and learn. Some disadvantages are that some children don’t want to

play games, so they refuse playing and a problem occurs because all children together should

play for more efficiency. Also children could repudiate the normal teaching on classes with

real teachers, because they want to play the game further. Teachers believe that playing games

lead to antisocial behavior and that games could increase aggression and violence.

"It should be noted that 37% of teachers and 22% of students think that computer

games should not be used in the classroom"14. The usage of video games in school also

depends on the political and social status in the region, where in undeveloped countries, the

usage of video games in school is almost impossible.

15

Picture 5: Pupils playing games

D - Solutions to Problems Arising from the Issue

Whilst many teachers and students would consider using video games in their classes,

there are many of them that would not play them. One solution could be to do research, what

14 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5398230.stm15 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7635404.stm


education game pupils would like to play if they had a choice. Then to count what game has

the most votes, and try to ask some children why did they choose that game. The offered

games should be especially educational games, with no violence or any kind of aggression.

Teachers should be asked about their opinion about the game and also a meeting with all

parents should be made to discuss the impacts of games, and if they agree, a contract with the

producer and publisher of the game should be made, because the school could buy the games

for a cheaper price.

16

Picture 4: Pupils playing games on Nintendo DS

Additionally to implement out-of school activities where pupils are able to visit before

or after school start, and play the game a certain amount of time. With educational games

pupils can increase their knowledge trough fun and technology. It would not take class time,

and children would like to come and play, to have fun and the most important to learn.

Bibliography

Blog-user Canand. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? Digital

image. GAMESPOT Personal Blog. 3 Sept. 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2008.

<http://www.gamespot.com/users/canand/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-24681480>.

16 http://www.slashgear.com/a-japanese-school-uses-nintendo-ds-as-english-learning-tool-3012322/


Consolidated results for the nine months ended December 2006 and 2007, and year

ended March 2007. 24 Jan. 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2008.

<http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/080124e.pdf>.

Consolidated results for the six months ended september 2007 and 2008. 30 Oct. 2008.

Web. 05 Nov. 2008. <http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/081030e.pdf>.

Derek. "Official Nintendo DS Release Date & Price." Forever Geek - Nerds Are for

Dorks. 21 Sept. 2004. Web. 12 Nov. 2008.

<http://www.forevergeek.com/2004/09/official_nintendo_ds_release_date_price>.

Gerstmann, Jeff. "Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day (DS) DS Game

Reviews - CNET Reviews." Product Reviews - Electronics Reviews, Computer Reviews &

More - CNET Reviews. 14 Apr. 2006. Web. 15 Nov. 2008. <http://reviews.cnet.com/ds-

games/brain-age-train-your/4505-10068_7-31694929.html>.

Nicholson, Tara. "Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? Review."

RealGamer - Video Games News and Reviews. 7 Jan. 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2008.

<http://www.realgamer.net/ds/reviews/Dr_Kawashimas_Brain_Training_How_Old_Is_Your_

Brain.html>.

No Author. "BBC NEWS | Technology | Video Games Have 'role in School'" BBC

NEWS | News Front Page. 2 Oct. 2006. Web. 12 Nov. 2008.

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5398230.stm>.

No Author. "Pioneering Computer Games in School Project to Be Extended." LTS -

Advice, Support and Resources for Education in Scotland. 14 Mar. 2008. Web. 5 Nov. 2008.

<http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/news/2008/pressreleases/march/news_tcm4480706.asp>.


No Author. Possibility to Play Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training in Multiplayer Mode.

Digital image. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? : Home:. 10 Sept.

2007. Web. 29 Nov. 2008. <http://www.braintraining.com.au/what.html>.

No Author. The Study Involved More than 600 Pupils across the Country. Digital

image. BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Computer Game Boosts Maths Scores. 25 Sept. 2008.

Web. 30 Oct. 2008. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7635404.stm>.

Orry, Tom. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? Screenshots for

DS - VideoGamer.com. Digital image. VideoGamer.com - Your Source for Everything Video

Games. 8 June 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2008.

<http://www.videogamer.com/ds/brain_training/screenshot-1.html>.

Then, Ewidson. Nintendo DS as English Learning Tool. Digital image. A Japanese

School Uses Nintendo DS as English Learning Tool - SlashGear. 30 June 2008. Web. 29 Nov.

2008. <http://www.slashgear.com/a-japanese-school-uses-nintendo-ds-as-english-learning-

tool-3012322/>.

computer games boosts maths' scores

Documents