Using Digital Games to Learn Mathematics – What students think?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v3i2.113Keywords:
mathematics, digital games, gender, course, attitudeAbstract
The aim of this study was to explore how university foundation students perceive the use of digital games in learning mathematics. Data was collected using an online questionnaire and 209 foundation university students participated in this study. The questionnaire was used to explore students’ gaming experience and students’ attitude towards mathematics learning with digital games. It was found that most of the university foundation students liked to play different types of digital games. Males preferred playing digital games in more traditional male genres namely sport, racing, shooter, action adventure, role play and strategy games. As for females, they generally preferred playing puzzle and simulation games. Astonishingly, the foundation students were not very positive towards the use of digital games in learning mathematics, and their attitude was essentially influenced by their mathematics interest. Students with greater interest in mathematics were more likely to support the use of digital games in learning.
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[2] S. H. Chang, “Learning mathematics through computer games,” in Proceedings of the 14th Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics, 2009, pp. 168–177.
[3] L. Bragg, “Children’s perspectives on mathematics and game playing,” in Proceedings of the 26th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 2003, pp. 160–167.
[4] K. Kislenko, “Structuring students’ beliefs in mathematics: A Norwegian case,” in In Current State of Research on Mathematical Beliefs XII. Proceedings of the MAVI-12 Workshop., 2006, pp. 45–57.
[5] D. B. McLeod, “Research on affect in mathematics education: A reconceptualization,” in Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning: A project of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, D. A. Grouws, Ed. New York: MacMillan, 1992, pp. 575–596.
[6] R. Pierce, K. Stacey, and A. Barkatsas, “A scale for monitoring students’ attitudes to learning mathematics with technology,” Comput. Educ., vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 285–300, Feb. 2007.
[7] I. Marchis, “Factors that influence secondary school students’ attitude to mathematics,” Procedia - Soc. Behav. Sci., vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 786–793, Jan. 2011.
[8] M. Vandecandelaere, S. Speybroeck, G. Vanlaar, B. De Fraine, and J. Van Damme, “Learning environment and students’ mathematics attitude,” Stud. Educ. Eval., vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 107–120, Sep. 2012.
[9] C. Vale, “Trends and factors concerning gender and mathematics in Australasia,” in 11th International Congress on Mathematical Education, 2008.
[10] A. Barkatsas, K. Kasimatis, and V. Gialamas, “Learning secondary mathematics with technology: Exploring the complex interrelationship between students’ attitudes, engagement, gender and achievement,” Comput. Educ., vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 562–570, Apr. 2009.
[11] O. Pilli and M. Aksu, “The effects of computer-assisted instruction on the achievement, attitudes and retention of fourth grade mathematics students in North Cyprus,” Comput. Educ., vol. 62, pp. 62–71, Mar. 2013.
[12] H. Yaratan and L. Kasapo?lu, “Eighth Grade Students’ Attitude, Anxiety, and Achievement Pertaining to Mathematics Lessons,” Procedia - Soc. Behav. Sci., vol. 46, pp. 162–171, Jan. 2012.
[13] R. Van Eck, “Digital Game-Based Learning: It’s Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless,” Educ. Rev., vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 16–30, Oct. 2006.
[14] S. Egenfeldt-Nielsen, “Third generation educational use of computer games,” J. Educ. Multimed. Hypermedia, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 263–281, 2007.
[15] K. Kiili, “Evaluations of and Experiential Gaming Model,” An Interdiscip. J. Humans ICT Environ., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 187–201, 2006.
[16] F. Ke and B. Grabowski, “Gameplaying for maths learning: cooperative or not?,” Br. J. Educ. Technol., vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 249–259, Mar. 2007.
[17] A. Holzinger, A. Pichler, W. Almer, and H. Maurer, “TRIANGLE: A Multi-Media test-bed for examining incidental learning, motivation and the Tamagotchi-Effect within a Game-Show like Computer Based Learning Module,” Educ. Multimed. Hypermedia Telecommun., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 766–771, 2001.
[18] R. Rosas, M. Nussbaum, P. Cumsille, V. Marianov, M. Correa, P. Flores, V. Grau, F. Lagos, X. López, V. López, P. Rodriguez, and M. Salinas, “Beyond Nintendo: design and assessment of educational video games for first and second grade students,” Comput. Educ., vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 71–94, Jan. 2003.
[19] S. Çankaya and A. Karamete, “The effects of educational computer games on students’ attitudes towards mathematics course and educational computer games,” Procedia - Soc. Behav. Sci., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 145–149, Jan. 2009.
[20] B. Johnson and L. Christensen, Educational Research Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2008.
[21] D. M. Mertens, Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology, 3rd ed. United States: Sage Publications, Inc., 2010.
[22] J. R. Fraenkel and N. E. Wallen, How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education, 6th ed. Boston: Mc Graw Hill, 2006.
[23] P. Galbraith and C. Haines, “Disentangling the nexus: Attitudes to mathematics and technology in a computer learning environment,” Educ. Stud. Math., vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 275–290, 1998.
[24] D. Gursoy and N. Swanger, “Performance-enhancing internal strategic factors and competencies: Impacts on financial success,” Int. J. Hosp. Manag., vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 213–227, 2007.
[25] M. Simons, E. de Vet, J. Brug, J. Seidell, and M. J. M. Chinapaw, “Active and non-active video gaming among Dutch adolescents: who plays and how much?,” J. Sci. Med. Sport, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 597–601, 2014.
[26] G. M. Sullivan and R. Feinn, “Using Effect Size-or Why the P Value Is Not Enough.,” J. Grad. Med. Educ., vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 279–282, Sep. 2012.
[27] M. L. Mitchell and J. M. Jolley, Research Design Explained, 7th ed. Cengage Learning, 2009.
[28] M. H. Phan, J. R. Jardina, S. Hoyle, and B. S. Chaparro, “Examining the Role of Gender in Video Game Usage, Preference, and Behavior,” Proc. Hum. Factors Ergon. Soc. Annu. Meet., vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 1496–1500, Oct. 2012.
[29] H. Cole and M. D. Griffiths, “Social interactions in massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers.,” Cyberpsychol. Behav., vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 575–83, Aug. 2007.
[30] P. Bonanno and P. A. M. Kommers, “Gender differences and styles in the use of digital games,” Educ. Psychol. An Int. J. Exp. Educ. Psychol., vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 13–41, Feb. 2005.
[31] J. L. Sherry, K. Lucas, B. S. Greenberg, and K. Lachlan, “Video Game Uses and Gratifications as Predictors of Use and Game Preference,” in Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences, vol. 24, P. Vorderer and J. Bryant, Eds. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006, pp. 213–224.
[32] C. M. Vale and G. C. Leder, “Student Views of Computer-Based Mathematics in the Middle Years: Does Gender Make a Difference?,” Educ. Stud. Math., vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 287–312, 2004.
[33] S.-T. Yong and P. Gates, “Born Digital: Are They Really Digital Natives?,” Int. J. e-Education, e-business, e-Management e-Learning, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 102–105, 2014.
[34] I. Vekiri, “Boys’ and girls' ICT beliefs: Do teachers matter?,” Comput. Educ., vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 16–23, 2010.
[35] S. Thomson and N. Fleming, Summing it up: Mathematics achievement in Australian schools in TIMSS 2002, vol. 2002. Camberwell: Australian Council for Educational Research, 2004.
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2016-06-28
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Using Digital Games to Learn Mathematics – What students think?. (2016). International Journal of Serious Games, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v3i2.113
