Impact of Video Games on Student Attitudes and

Achievement in Mathematics:

A Review of Literature

Blake Whitley28 November 2011

EMS 792x

Introduction

An increasing number of children are playing video games and demand more interactive forms of instruction

46 million gamers between age of 5 and 17 (NPD Group, 2011)

68% of parents believe video games provide mental stimulation or education (NPD Group, 2011)

Introduction

attitudes toward mathematics play a central role in the learning of mathematics as they are frequently used as reliable predictors of long-term achievement in mathematics (Aiken, 1970)

Only one other literature review found that examined student attitudes and achievement in mathematics (2006)

Conceptual Framework

Attitudes (Emotional response) (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)

Self-Efficacy (Belief in one’s ability) (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)

Student Achievement (Demonstrated ability)

Conceptual Framework

Transfer (recall of prior knowledge and understanding of when and where to apply that knowledge) (Van Eck, 2001)

Flow Theory (increases student persistence by providing problems that are at or slightly above student’s level of ability) (Liu, Cheng, & Huang, 2011)

MethodCriteria for Inclusion

Only articles pertaining to student attitudes and student achievement in mathematics will be reviewed

Will not focus on gender differences in attitudes or achievement as a result of video game implementation

Will not focus on socio-economic differences in attitude or achievement as a result of video game implementation

MethodSearch Procedures

ERIC

Search terms: math*, video game*, attitude*, achievement, and computer game*

Forward search conducted using Google Scholar

ResultsVideo Games in Education

Research displays close integration between student attitudes and student achievement (Aiken, 1970)

National Education Association (NEA) made recommendations for the implementation of video games in the classroom: SimCity promotes problem solving skills (NEA, 2007)

ResultsVideo Games in Education

“Educate to Innovate” campaign launched in 2009 to “improve the participation and performance of America’s students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)” (whitehouse.gov, 2011)

“...harnessing the power of...interactive games...to reach millions of students” (whitehouse.gov, 2011)

ResultsVideo Games in Education

DimensionM: role-playing video game requires students to answer rapid-fire math questions as they take part in 3-D adventures (Tabula Digita, 2003)

ResultsStudent Attitudes Toward

MathematicsPositive Impact

Improved attitudes toward mathematics (Akinsola & Animasahun, 2007; Ke, 2008)

Gains in self-esteem (Miller & Robertson, 2010)

Significant positive change in student attitudes and self-efficacy (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)

ResultsStudent Attitudes Toward

MathematicsPositive Impact

Positive attitude toward educational value (Lopez-Morteo & Lopez, 2004)

Computer games promote motivation (Ke, 2008)

Improvement in motivation to learn (Rosas, Nussbaum, Cumsille, et. al., 2003)

ResultsStudent Attitudes Toward

MathematicsPositive Impact

Higher scores correlated to better attitudes toward math (Shin, Norris, & Soloway, 2006)

ResultsStudent Attitudes Toward

MathematicsNo Impact

No difference in student anxiety (Van Eck & Dempsey, 2002)

No significant difference in student attitudes (Gelman, 2010)*

*Positive impact in some categories

ResultsStudent Achievement in

MathematicsPositive Impact

Benefits in terms of both motivation and learning outcomes (Habgood & Ainsworth, 2011)

Improved achievement in mathematics (Akinsola & Animasahun, 2007; Miller & Robertson, 2010)

Students who used handheld games outperformed those who did not (Shin, Norris, and Soloway, 2006)

ResultsStudent Achievement in

MathematicsPositive Impact

Transfer promoted through computer mediated intervention (Van Eck, 2001)

Use of quantitative representations intentional and goal-oriented (Satwicz & Stevens, 2008)

Male language-minority students who played computer games in math daily demonstrated high math performance scores (Kim & Chang, 2010)

ResultsStudent Achievement in

MathematicsNo Impact

English-speaking students who played math games daily displayed significantly lower achievement (Kim & Chang, 2010)

No significant difference in mathematics achievement (Din & Caleo, 2000; Gelman, 2010; Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011; Ke, 2008)

ResultsSummary and Critique

Studies did not always show correlation between student attitudes and achievement in mathematics (although this has been shown in other disciplines) (Watson, 2011)

Enough evidence to suggest positive impact on student attitudes and need for further research on student achievement in mathematics

DiscussionGeneral Issues

Concerns from parents and teachers relating to possible addictive behaviors or problems of social isolation as an effect of its use (Rosas, Nussbaum, Cumsille, et. al., 2003)

Students have difficulties in learning mathematics and only the traditional method of teaching is in vogue in schools (Akinsola, 2007)

DiscussionGeneral Issues

Teachers have a critical role to play in maximizing the educational potential for intrinsic games (Habgood, 2011)

DiscussionAreas for Future Research

Lack of generalizability (Miller & Robertson, 2010; Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011; Shin, Norris, & Soloway, 2006)

Larger sample size (Shin, Norris, & Soloway, 2006; Van Eck & Dempsey, 2002)

Longer period of time (semester or year) (Van Eck & Dempsey, 2002)

DiscussionAreas for Future Research

Longitudinal study (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)

Game design (Ritzhaupt, Higgins, & Allred, 2011)

Non-competitive simulation games more beneficial (Ke, 2008)

Optimum frequency for playing games (Kim & Chang, 2010)

DiscussionAreas for Future Research

Commonalities in video games that promote student achievement and positive student attitudes

More research at secondary level in mathematics