Digital educational games, mathematics, and primary school students. Results of a pilot project

Η εργασία παρουσιάζει τα αποτελέσματα πιλοτικού προγράμματος για τη διδασκαλία ενοτήτων του μαθήματος των Μαθηματικών σε μαθητές της Δ΄ τάξης του δημοτικού με τη χρήση ηλεκτρονικών εκπαιδευτικών παιχνιδιών. Τα παιχνίδια κατασκευάστηκαν από τον εκπαιδευτικό της τάξης χρησιμοποιώντας το πρόγραμμα κατασκευής τρισδιάστατων παιχνιδιών Kodu Game Lab της Microsoft. Για να είναι δυνατή η σύγκριση των μαθησιακών αποτελεσμάτων, συγκροτήθηκαν δύο επιπλέον ερευνητικές ομάδες. Στην πρώτη οι μαθητές εργάστηκαν ομαδικά, ενώ στη δεύτερη η διδασκαλία έγινε καθαρά συμβατικά. Ερευνητικά δεδομένα συλλέχθηκαν με ερωτηματολόγια και φύλλα αξιολόγησης. Από την ανάλυσή τους προκύπτει ότι η ομάδα των μαθητών που χρησιμοποίησε τα παιχνίδια ξεπέρασε, στις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις, την ομάδα που διδάχθηκε συμβατικά, αλλά όχι την ομάδα όπου οι μαθητές εργάστηκαν ομαδικά. Οι απόψεις των μαθητών για τα παιχνίδια ήταν ιδιαίτερα θετικές. Τα αποτελέσματα οδηγούν στην ανάγκη περαιτέρω διερεύνησης του θέματος, εξετάζοντας παράλληλα, τη δυνατότητα ένταξης των εκπαιδευτικών παιχνιδιών για τη διδασκαλία των μαθηματικών στο δημοτικό σχολείο.The study presents the results of a pilot project in which digital games were used for teaching units from the mathematics' course to fourth-grade primary school students. In general, Mathematics is not an easy teaching subject; students do face quite a lot of problems. On the other hand, digital games are highly compatible to students' mentality and skills. Indeed, the relevant literature suggests multiple benefits for students when using digital games for teaching a wide range of learning subjects, Mathematics included. By exploring and experimenting in the game students can discover useful mathematical relations and strategies, and learn new concepts and rules. The development of mathematics-related skills, problem-solving skills, understanding of abstract mathematical concepts, increase in students’ motivation as well as their interest in the subject matter of Mathematics, and the improvement of communication and collaboration between students and teachers were also reported. On the other hand, the educational potential of digital games with regard to Mathematics is still understudied. Having that in mind, a pilot project was designed and implemented having as a target group fourth-grade primary school students (ages 9-10). The units that were selected were related to decimal and compound numbers. The teaching method was based on constructivism and specifically on Driver- Oldham's teaching model. The games were developed by the class's teacher using Microsoft's Kodu Game Lab. The learning outcomes were compared to two other groups of students. In the first, students worked in groups, while in the second, the teaching was conventional. A total of 63 students participated in the study and the project lasted for four two-hour sessions (for each group of students). The main research question was whether the use of digital games for teaching the previously mentioned subjects yields better learning outcomes compared to other more conventional teaching methods. The attitude of students towards the digital games, as well as the time needed for their development, were also examined. Research data were collected using questionnaires and evaluation sheets. Results indicated that the students in the games group outperformed, in most cases, the students that were taught conventionally, but not the students who worked in groups. The views of students for the games was highly positive and no problems were reported. Also, the time needed for the development of the games raised questions whether an amateur (as was the teacher who developed the games) can cope with such a task. Although the results are in agreement with previous studies that indicated that conventional teaching is not an effective method, they also emphasize the need to further investigate the use of digital games. It is also suggested that the integration of educational games for teaching mathematics in primary school can be considered. For that matter, software engineers have to develop easier-to-use tools for the development of games. More importantly, there is the need to change the educational system by providing support to teachers that want to use innovative methods during their teaching

Influencia de los videojuegos violentos y prosociales en la conducta de ayuda

El objetivo de la investigación fue analizar el efecto que tienen los videojuegos con contenido violento y prosocial en la intención de realizar conductas de ayuda (o prosociales) dependiendo del contexto en el que se juegue. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 79 estudiantes de una universidad privada de Lima Metropolitana, los cuales fueron asignados aleatoriamente a una de las siguientes condiciones experimentales: juego individual con contenido prosocial (prosocial individual) (n = 23); juego multijugador en un contexto prosocial (cooperativo) (n = 18); juego individual con contenido violento (violento individual) (n = 21) y juego multijugador en contexto violento (competitivo) (n = 17). Se cuantificó la intención de ayuda en función a la cantidad de dinero que los participantes mencionaron dar en dos tipos de situaciones (una altruista y otra cooperativa) y en relación al tiempo que estarían dispuestos a ayudar al investigador en otro estudio a futuro. Los resultados muestran que los sujetos en las condiciones prosociales dieron más dinero en las situaciones de ayuda que los que jugaron en las condiciones violentas. Además, se encontró una relación estadísticamente significativa entre la disposición del tiempo que estaría dispuesto a ayudar al investigador en un estudio futuro y qué tan divertido los usuarios consideraban el videojuego que jugaron r(77) = .28, p = .02. Estos resultados son discutidos a la luz de lo encontrado en otras investigaciones.The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of video games with prosocial and violent content in the willingness to do prosocial behaviors depending the playing context. The sample consisted in 79 students from a private university in Lima that were randomly assigned to play one of the next conditions: single videogame with prosocial content (n = 23); multiplayer videogame in prosocial context (n = 18); single videogame with violent content (n = 21) and multiplayer videogame in violent context (n = 17). The willingness to help was quantified according to the amount of money the participants refer to give in two different situations (an altruistic and a cooperative one) and their disposition to help the researcher in further studies. It was found that participants who played in the prosocial conditions gave more money in the helping situations than those who played in the violent conditions. Furthermore, it was a significant correlation between the disposition to help in further studies and how enjoyable the users perceived the videogame they played r(77) = .28, p = .02. These results are discussed comparing the findings of other researches.Tesi

TOY SAFETY AND CIVIL LAW LIABILITY FOR DEFECTIVE TOYS

Sve mjere usmjerene na sprječavanje opasnosti, odnosno izbjegavanje rizika koje predstavljaju igračke ne mogu u cijelosti spriječiti stavljanje u promet i prisutnost opasnih igračaka na tržištu, te nastanak šteta izazvanih neispravnim igračkama. Prevencijskim pravnim pravilima o sigurnosti igračaka, kao i kompenzacijsko-prevencijskim pravilima o odgovornosti za neispravne igračke, nastoji se maksimalno smanjiti broj nezgoda izazvanih neispravnim igračkama, te poticati stavljanje na tržište samo sigurne igračake, odnosno igračke koje predstavljaju nikakvu ili najmanju opasnost, ali i omogućiti ostvarenje naknade štete izazvane neispravnošću igračaka. U radu se analizira pravno uređenje sigurnosti igračaka i odgovornosti za neispravne igračke u pravu Sjedinjenih Američkih Država, Europske unije i hrvatskom pravu. Posebna pozornost posvećena je odnosu i funkcijama privatnopravnog i javnopravnog uređenja sigurnosti igračaka i privatnopravnih pravila o odgovornosti za neispravne igračke.All measures aimed at preventing danger, that is preventing risks associated with toys, cannot entirely prevent the placement of dangerous toys and their presence on the market as well as damages caused by defective toys. Preventive legal rules on toy safety and compensatory-preventive rules governing the liability for damages caused by defective toys have been prescribed under the effort to maximally reduce the number of accidents caused by defective toys and to stimulate placing on the market of only safe toys, i.e. toys presenting no or minimum danger. Toy safety regulations have been set as well as to enable compensation for damages caused by defective toys. The author in the article analyses legal regulations regarding toy safety and liability for defective toys adopted in the United States of America, European Union and Croatia. A special attention has been given to relationship between private legal and public legal toy safety regulations and their functions as well as private legal rules on liability for defective toys

Perceção parental da relação entre a atividade de jogar videojogos de entretenimento e a aprendizagem escolar : um estudo exploratório

Dissertação de Mestrado, Psicologia (Área de Especialização em Psicologia da Educação e da Orientação), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2020A investigação sugere a existência de uma relação tanto negativa como positiva entre a atividade de jogar videojogos de entretenimento (VE) e a aprendizagem escolar dos jovens, possivelmente em função de mediadores internos (e.g., autocontrolo), e externos (e.g., mediação parental, provavelmente afetada pela perceção dos pais sobre aquela relação). Neste enquadramento, o presente estudo qualitativo teve como objetivo conhecer a perceção parental sobre a relação entre a atividade de jogar VE e a aprendizagem escolar de alunos do ensino secundário. Para tal, realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas, a uma amostra de pais daqueles alunos, em torno de cinco dimensões dessa relação: “Efeitos da atividade de jogar VE na aprendizagem”; “ Efeitos da atividade de jogar VE no processo de aprendizagem”; “Efeitos do processo de aprendizagem na atividade de jogar VE”; “Efeitos da atividade de jogar VE nos resultados da aprendizagem”; e “Efeitos dos resultados da aprendizagem na atividade de jogar VE”. As respostas às entrevistas foram sujeitas a uma análise temática de conteúdo, apurando-se várias perceções específicas, relativamente a cada dimensão indagada. Estas perceções foram interpretadas à luz de investigação anterior incidente tanto na relação entre a atividade de jogar VE e a aprendizagem escolar, como na perceção parental sobre essa relação. Dos resultados foram igualmente derivadas hipóteses testáveis por investigação futura, que incida: naquela relação; na possível afectação dela por diferentes estilos de mediação parental; e nas perceções relacionadas com cada um desses estilos. Tal linha de investigação poderá contribuir para uma fundamentação empírica da referida mediação parental.Research suggests the existence of both a positive and a negative relationship between playing video game (VG) and academic learning, probably due to different mediators: internal (e.g., self-control) and external (e.g., parental mediation, probably affected by parents' perception of this relationship). Within this framework, the present qualitative study aimed to research parental perception relatively to the relationship between playing VG and academic learning of high school students. For that purpose, semistructured interviews were conducted with a sample of parents of those students, around five dimensions of these relationship: “Effects of playing VG on learning”; “Effects of playing VG on learning process”; "Effects of learning process on playing VG "; “Effects of playing VG on learning results”; and "Effects of learning results on playing VG ". Interviews responses were subjected to a thematic content analysis, which resulted on the identification of multiple specific perceptions for each one of that dimensions. Those perceptions were analyzed in the light of previous research which studied the relationship between playing VG and academic learning, and the parental perception about that relationship. From results were also derived multiple hypotheses which can be tested in future studies focused on: that relationship; the effects of parental mediation style in that relationship; and the perceptions related to different mediation styles. This type of investigation can contribute to an empirical foundation of the referred parental mediation

Understanding player experience in social digital games : the role of social presence

Including others in a playful activity fundamentally changes the concept of play into social play. This thesis focuses on social play in digital gaming. Previous studies have revealed the crucial part of social interaction in play, as the intrinsic need to belong seems to be the core motivation for engaging in such activities. Besides interacting with the game and focusing on the game content, gamers are confronted with emotions, behaviours, opinions and performances of others that can easily be perceived when playing side by side (co-located co-play). However, the widespread penetration of the Internet also allows for social play without the restriction of co-players having to be in the same room (mediated co-play). In online co-play settings a smaller amount of social information can be exchanged compared to co-located co-play. These settings therefore differ in the way gamers can interact with each other, which has an influence on how digital gaming is experienced. Focus groups, contextual inquiries, and four experimental studies were employed to uncover which aspects of social play in digital gaming make mediated and co-located co-play feel different. The first study was conducted to explore the motivations of gamers to physically meet others to play digital games, compared to meeting them online. Based on interpersonal communications, focus groups and contextual inquiries, findings revealed that the appeal of co-located above online co-play results from the sociable, warm, sensitive, personal and intimate interactions that are possible when playing side-byside. Furthermore, co-located co-play offers the possibility to experience social fun before and after game play, which often is not afforded in online co-play. The first lab experiment was conducted to empirically demonstrate to what extent player experience is influenced by the way co-players are present; e.g. as a virtual (human controlled), mediated or co-located co-player. Results on self-reports indicated that playing sidebyside significantly adds to the enjoyment and involvement in games compared to playing against a virtual (i.e. computer controlled) or distant co-player. These results could be explained by introducing the concept of social presence, which is defined as the feeling of being together with another individual. Results demonstrated that social presence mediated the enjoyment in social play. In the second and third lab experiment the possibilities for verbal and non-verbal interaction were manipulated between coplayers in co-located co-play. One experiment investigated this for competitive play; a the other for collaborative play. Self-reports showed that interactions through auditory cues positively influenced player experience. Interestingly, the presence of visual cues of one’s co-player had no significant influence on play. Observation data of players confirmed that audio cues (e.g., talking, laughing) were far more often used than visual cues (e.g., eye contact, making gestures); visual cues were only used before and after play. Furthermore, we demonstrated that social presence – due to interaction by audio cues – mediates the enjoyment in social play. A final lab experiment was conducted to investigate the importance of the connection between players through the game for our results in the previous chapters. In this experiment players were colocated, but not always played together and/or were not always able to see each other’s scores. Results showed that a subjective shared experience increases the strength of the social connection between players, and positively affects feelings of social presence, enjoyment and involvement. Similar to the previous findings, social presence mediated the increase in feelings of enjoyment and involvement. In sum, our set of studies offered empirical support for when, why and how social interaction influences players’ experience in co-play settings. Furthermore, the results indicate the importance of social presence as a mediating factor of enjoyment and involvement in social play. This provides new theoretical insights for communication experiences in other media, and social presence in general. Furthermore, findings may be useful to game designers who may want to enhance players’ experiences in during digital play

Experimentelle Untersuchungen zu Spielerleben und Risikobereitschaft bei Videorennspielen

Risikoverherrlichende Videorennspiele haben in den vergangenen Jahren vermehrt das Interesse der Forschung geweckt. In derartigen Videospielen werden die Folgen einer riskanten Fahrweise nicht nur verharmlost, sondern Spieler werden sogar für ihre Risikobereitschaft belohnt. Bei bekannten und viel verkauften Spieltiteln wie Need for Speed – Hot Pursuit schlüpfen die Spieler in die Rolle eines rücksichtslosen Rasers und versuchen sich auf graphisch realistisch dargestellten Rennstrecken mit gefährlichen und halsbrecherischen Manövern gegen ihre Kontrahenten durchzusetzen. Wie bei gewalthaltigen Videospielen liegt die Vermutung nahe, dass der häufige Konsum risikoverherrlichender Videorennspiele mit negativen Konsequenzen wie beispielsweise einer erhöhten Risikobereitschaft im Straßenverkehr einhergeht. Aufbauend auf den Erkenntnissen der vorliegenden experimentellen Studien in diesem Bereich wurden zwei Untersuchungen durchgeführt. In der ersten Untersuchung mit 272 Versuchsteilnehmern sollte überprüft werden, ob sich Auswirkungen des Rennspielkonsums auch nach einem dreitätigen Treatment nachweisen lassen. Die Probanden spielten an drei aufeinander folgenden Tagen für jeweils 20 Minuten entweder verschiedene klassische Rennsimulationen (Kontrollgruppe) oder unterschiedliche risikoverherrlichende Videorennspiele (Experimentalgruppe) und bearbeiteten direkt im Anschluss an das Treatment verschiedene Aufgaben zur Erfassung ihrer Risikobereitschaft. Die statistische Auswertung ergab keine signifikanten Gruppenunterschiede. Die zweite Untersuchung diente dazu, die möglichen Auswirkungen einer sozialen Wettbewerbssituation bei diesem Spielgenre zu überprüfen. Die insgesamt 75 Probanden wurden einer der vier realisierten Versuchsbedingungen zugewiesen und spielten für die Zeit von 20 Minuten allein oder gegen einen Konföderierten entweder eine Tennissimulation (Kontrollgruppe) oder ein risikoverherrlichendes Videorennspiel (Experimentalgruppe). Die Auswertung zeigte, dass die Probanden das Treatment abhängig von Spielinhalt und Spielsetting sehr unterschiedlich erlebten. Bedeutsame Unterschiede hinsichtlich der Risikobereitschaft stellten sich hingegen nicht ein. Mögliche Gründe für die durchweg nichtsignifikanten Ergebnisse in Bezug auf die Risikobereitschaft werden eingehend diskutiert. Aus Sicht des Autors sprechen die gewonnenen Befunde nicht zwingend gegen Medieneffekte bei risikoverherrlichenden Videorennspielen, sie verdeutlichen jedoch, dass bestehende Modellvorstellungen zur Medienwirkung überarbeitet und im deutschsprachigen Raum geeignete Testinstrumente zur Erfassung der Risikobereitschaft hervorgebracht und erprobt werden müssen