Fran C. Blumberg, Elizabeth A. Altschuler, & Debby E. AlmonteFordham University

Graduate School of Education

Fran C. Blumberg, Elizabeth A. Altschuler, & Debby E. AlmonteFordham University

Graduate School of Education

Children and adolescents’ perceptions of learning in video

games and school

Who plays video games? (Obligatory data concerning prevalence)

• 67% of US households play video or computer games (Entertainment Software

Association, 2010).• 88% of children aged 8-18 have

played a video game (Gentile, 2009).

• Over 50% of game console players are children aged 2-17 (Nielsen Research,

2007).

What’s so good about playing video games?

Video game play generally seen as a vehicle of informal learning linked to enhanced:

• spatial skills (Green & Bavelier, 2003; Greenfield, Brannon, & Lohr, 1994; Gunter,

1998; Subrahmanyam & Greenfield, 1996); • problem solving and inductive reasoning (Greenfield,

Camioni et al., 1994; Gauvain, 1993; Rosas et al., 2003); and• visual attention (Castel, Pratt, & Drummond, 2005; Green & Bavelier, 2006a;

2006b).

So, it’s all good?

• Strong interest in the academic ramifications of video game play isn’t reflected in extensive investigation of those ramifications among children and adolescents (Blumberg, Rosenthal, & Randall, 2008; De Lisi & Wolford, 2002; Papastergiou, 2009).

• Demonstrations of transfer from games, even educational games, to more traditional academic tasks remains elusive (see Mayer & Johnson, 2010).

• Educational games used in the classroom not routinely appreciated by their intended audience (see

Tüzün, 2007; Van Eck, 2006).

What should we do?

• First, identify what it is that children and adolescents do during video game play; that is, what cognitive skills do they use when they play video games and how might they coordinate their those skills as they play.

• Second, examine how children and adolescents characterize what it is that they do during video game play and how they might view that behavior as comparable to what they do in school.

What have we done?

• Blumberg & Ismailer (2008) asked their 5th-7th grade participants to think aloud while playing an off-the-shelf video game for 20 minutes.

• Students characterized as frequent (played 3 or more times a week) or infrequent (play twice a week or less) players.

• Comments were categorized as representative of:

► goals (i.e., process or outcome);

►cognitive processes (i.e., insight, impasse recognition);

► game oriented (i.e., game strategies; mechanics/rules, progress, background knowledge);

► affective (i.e., performance evaluations); and ►contextual (i.e., experimental setting).

What did we find?

• Most comments referred to progress while playing the game. This finding comparable to that found among an adult sample (Blumberg, Rosenthal, &

Randall, 2008).

• Older children made fewer goal comments & more game mechanics and progress comments than younger children.

• Frequent players made greater reference to winning the game than infrequent players.

What did we find?

• 5th graders made less reference to insight over time; frequent players made greater reference to their game performance than infrequent players.

• 6th graders made greater reference to process goals over time; frequent players made less reference to their game performance than infrequent players.

• 7th graders made greater references to game progress over time; frequent players made more reference to impasses and insight than infrequent players.

What are we doing?

• We have convened at least one focus group of frequent players and one of infrequent players for each of 4th-8th grade, with the exception of 6th grade.

• Based on their self-reports and that of their parents, children were identified as frequent or infrequent players.

• Each group contained males and females to the extent possible.

What did we ask participants?

The primary focus group questions included:What do you like most about playing video games? What do you do when you’re first learning how to

play a new video game? What happens when you get stuck in a video

game? What happens when you get stuck on a problem in

school? How are problems in video games similar to

problems in schoolwork?

Composition of Focus GroupsGrade Frequent Infrequent

4th Group 4a1: M age = 10.47; SD = 1.29; N = 5 (4 boys; 1 girl)Group 4a2: M age = 10.40; SD = .26; N = 4 (3 boys; 1 girl)

Group 4b: M age = 9.82; SD = .30; N = 5 (2 boys; 3 girls)

5th Group 5a1: M age = 10.93; SD = .63; N = 6 (4 boys; 2 girls)Group 5a2: M age = 10.92; SD = .27; N = 7 (5 boys; 2 girls)

Group 5b: M age = 10.79; SD =.62; N =6 (6 girls)

6th Group 6a: M age = 11.69; SD = .40; N = 5 (1 boy; 4 girls)

_________________________

7th Group 7a: M age = 12.66; SD = .49; N = 6 (4 boys; 2 girls)

Group 7b: M age = 13.16; SD = .30; N = 6 (2 boys; 4 girls)

8th Group 8a1: M age = 13.64; SD = .15; N = 5 (4 boys; 1 girl)Group 8a2 = M age = 13.34; SD = .36; N =6 (6 boys)

Group 8b: M age = 14.08; SD = .26; N = 7(3 boys; 4 girls)

How was the data collected?

• Focus groups were convened with one research assistant leading the group and one or two research assistants taking notes. Groups ran 35-45 minutes.

• Comments from all groups were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts then were reviewed and corrected by another reader as necessary.

• Three independent reviewers read each finalized transcript and noted specific themes in response to the major prompts.

• Those themes noted by all three reviewers were then included in the final analysis of the data.

What have we found?

• Independent of frequency of play, students in most grades saw video game play and school work as involving learning on some level. However, students in most grades viewed video game play as “fun” as opposed to school work.

• Students in most grades noted seeking help when stuck when playing video games or in a problem at school.

• Notably, frequent players identified more sources that they would seek or help when stuck in a video game than infrequent players.

What have we found?

• Notably, frequent players across most grades were inclined to cite renewal of effort when encountering problems in school (i.e. keep trying, re-read notes) as opposed to infrequent players.

• Independent of frequency of play, students in all grades cited trial and error as how they approached a video game they had yet to play. Across most grades, seeking of help also noted.

Prompt Themes

Frequent Infrequent

What do you like most about playing video games?

Game affordances (violence, fun, action, mastery, fantasy, challenge, interactivity) – 4th, 6th , 7th & 8th Grade

Graphics – 5th & 8th

Grade Cheat codes – 5th Grade;

Flow – 8th Grade

Game affordances (violence, fun, action, mastery) – 4th, 5th, 7th & 8th Grade

Diversity of games, Game achievement, Social interaction – 8th Grade

What do you do when you’re first learning to play a video game?

Trial & error – All grades Seek help (manual – 4th

& 5th Grade; friend or family member, in-game tutorial -8th Grade) – 4th & 7th Grade

Draw on knowledge – 4th Grade

Practice – 4th Grade

Trial & error – All grades; Seek help (read the manual,

in-game tutorial) – 4th , 5th , & 7th Grade

Practice – 8th Grade

Major themes by frequency of play

Prompt Themes

Frequent Infrequent

What happens when you get stuck in a video game?

Seek help (family members, manual, teacher) – 4th , 5th , 7th & 8th Grade

Practice – 5th Grade Stop playing – 5th Grade Cheat codes (internet-7th)

– 4th & 6th Grade Take a break – 4th Grade Keep trying – 4th Grade Trial & error – 8th Grade

Stop Playing – 5th & 8th Grade; Seek help (Internet) – 4th , 7th &

8th Grade Trial & error – 4th Grade Practice – 5th Grade Cheat codes , Take a break, Re-

define problem – 7th Grade

What happens when you get stuck in a problem at school?

Seek help (teacher )- 4th , 5th , 7th & 8th Grade; (friend ) – 5th & 6th Grade; (textbook or directions ) – 6th & 8th Grade

Effort – 8th Grade; Guess – 4th Grade

Keep trying – 4th Grade Skip Problem – 5th Grade Re-read notes & seek

extra help – 7th Grade

Seek help (teacher, friend textbook, internet) – 4th , 7th, & 8th Grade;

Make notes – 8th Grade

Major themes by frequency of play

Prompt Themes

Frequent Infrequent

How are problems in video games similar/different to problems in school?

SimilarLearning/problem solving – 4th, 6th & 8th GradeCheat codes/Answer keys– 5th Grade; Involve math occasionally – 4th

Strategic – 4th GradeAllow for help seeking; control of difficulty level – 7th Grade; Require practice – 8th GradeDifferentEntail excitement not allowed for in school activities – 4th GradeSchool activities graded – 4th GradeConsequences of actions (No penalties; Quitting )– 4th & 5th Grade; Violence – 8th Grade)Games are fun – 4th & 6th , & 7th GradeVideo game affordances (freedom to choose problems/puzzles within games, no time limits, low stakes as compared to school) – 7th Grade

SimilarEducational- 4th & 5th GradeStrategic – 7th GradeSeek help & improve with practice – 8th Grade

DifferentConsequences of actions (games not real) – 4th & 8th GradeAuthority (i.e. no “teacher” in game) – 4th GradeGames are fun – 5th GradeSchool problems harder – 7th GradeVideo game affordances (control of pace, difficulty level) – 7th Grade

Austin Alhindawi

John Randall

Allie Schwartz

Special thanks to:Austin Alhindawi, Sabrina Ismailer,

Tara Gartner, Patty Gil-Diaz, Brittney Huntington, Brian Kelley,

Ryan McGuiness, John Randall, Brigid Raughley,

Allie Schwartz, Jess Williams, and Scott Woerner.