Increasing middle school students’ awareness and interest in manufacturing through digital game-based learning (DGBL)

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 785-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Perini ◽  
Maria Margoudi ◽  
Manuel Fradinho Oliveira ◽  
Marco Taisch
Author(s):  
Brian Herrig

This chapter discusses the development and implementation of an introductory programming unit within a seventh grade technology education course. The goal of this unit was to introduce the concepts of programming to middle school students in a way that was accessible and unintimidating. Digital games provide an inherent level of engagement not present in other programming activities, and the digital game environment provides a safe platform for experimentation without concern for safety or equipment. The curriculum described in this chapter provides many practical examples of how digital games can be incorporated into a technology education classroom to engage students in the world of programming.


2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 863-885
Author(s):  
Jewoong Moon ◽  
Fengfeng Ke

Game-based learning (GBL) has increasingly been used to promote students’ learning engagement. Although prior GBL studies have highlighted the significance of learning engagement as a mediator of students’ meaningful learning, the existing accounts failed to capture specific evidence of how exactly students’ in-game actions in GBL enhance learning engagement. Hence, this mixed-method study was designed to examine whether middle school students’ in-game actions are likely to promote certain types of learning engagement (i.e., content and cognitive engagement). This study used and examined the game E-Rebuild, a single-player three-dimensional architecture game that requires learners’ application of math knowledge. Using in-depth gameplay behavior analysis, this study sampled a total of 92 screen-recorded and video-captured gameplay sessions attended by 25 middle school students. We adopted two analytic approaches: sequential analysis and thematic analysis. Whereas sequential analysis explored which in-game actions by students were likely to promote each type of learning engagement, the thematic analysis depicted how certain gameplay contexts contributed to students’ enhanced learning engagement. The study found that refugee allocation and material trading actions promoted students’ content engagement, whereas using in-game building tools and learning support boosted their cognitive engagement. This study also found that students’ learning engagement was associated with their development of mathematical thinking in a GBL context.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-335
Author(s):  
Jewoong Moon ◽  
Fengfeng Ke

Background. Middle school students’ math anxiety and low engagement have been major issues in math education. In order to reduce their anxiety and support their math learning, game-based learning (GBL) has been implemented. GBL research has underscored the role of social dynamics to facilitate a qualitative understanding of students’ knowledge. Whereas students’ peer interactions have been deemed a social dynamic, the relationships among peer interaction, task efficiency, and learning engagement were not well understood in previous empirical studies. Method. This mixed-method research implemented E-Rebuild, which is a 3D architecture game designed to promote students’ math problem-solving skills. We collected a total of 102 50-minutes gameplay sessions performed by 32 middle school students. Using video-captured and screen-recorded gameplaying sessions, we implemented behavior observations to measure students’ peer interaction efficiency, task efficiency, and learning engagement. We used association analyses, sequential analysis, and thematic analysis to explain how peer interaction promoted students’ task efficiency and learning engagement. Results. Students’ peer interactions were negatively related to task efficiency and learning engagement. There were also different gameplay patterns by students’ learning/task-relevant peer-interaction efficiency (PIE) level. Students in the low PIE group tended to progress through game tasks more efficiently than those in the high PIE group. The results of qualitative thematic analysis suggested that the students in the low PIE group showed more reflections on game-based mathematical problem solving, whereas those with high PIE experienced distractions during gameplay. Discussion. This study confirmed that students’ peer interactions without purposeful and knowledge-constructive collaborations led to their low task efficiency, as well as low learning engagement. The study finding shows further design implications: (1) providing in-game prompts to stimulate students’ math-related discussions and (2) developing collaboration contexts that legitimize students’ interpersonal knowledge exchanges with peers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 4320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zekihan Hazar ◽  
Kürşat Hazar ◽  
Belgin Gökyürek ◽  
Muhsin Hazar ◽  
Sinan Çelikbilek

Introduction and Aim: The most basic problems that the developing technology brings to the life of children are the increasingly decreased physical games, the rapid increase of the digital game addiction and the violent games are pushing the aggressive behavior of the individuals. This research is important for the solution of the problem. Purpose of the research; The relationship between playfulness, digital game addiction and aggressiveness of middle school students in terms of various variables.Method: In this research, which adopts the relational screening model, similar sampling method is used as the objective sampling method. In this direction, the study group is composed of the students from the 2016-2017 education period, the Türdü 100. Year Middle School students affiliated to the Muğla Provincial Directorate of National Education and Maltepe Secondary School students affiliated to the Ankara Provincial Directorate of National Education. 55.6% of the participants were female (n = 213) and 44.4% were male (n = 170). 49.6% (n = 190) of participants attending Türdü 100.Yıl Secondary School, 50.4% of students attending Maltepe Secondary School (n = 193). Of the participants, 42% were 12 years (n = 161), 27.7% were 13 years (n = 106) and 30.3% were 14 years old (n = 116). In order to collect data in the study, Playfulness Scale, Digital Game Addiction Scale for Children, and Aggression Scale were used. The obtained data were subjected to various analyzes using the SPSS 24.0 packet program. Findings: According to research findings, participants' total scores on the scales were statistically significantly different between school type, sex and age variables. At the same time, it was found that the participants had a statistically significant relationship between the total scores of these three scales.Conclusion and Discussion: As a result; Playability, digital game dependency and aggressiveness of middle school students are related to each other. Therefore, it can be said that it is important to investigate the problems to be solved by considering these three situations to solve the present problem.Extended English abstract is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file. ÖzetGiriş ve Amaç: Gelişen teknolojinin çocukların yaşamına getirdiği en temel olumsuzluklar arasında fiziksel aktivite içerikli oyunların giderek azalması, dijital oyun bağımlılığının hızlı bir biçimde artması ve bununla bağlantılı olarak özellikle şiddet içerikli oyunların bireyleri saldırganlık davranışına itmesi gibi önemli sorunlar olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu araştırma, yaşanan problemin çözümüne ışık tutması açısından önem taşımaktadır. Araştırmanın amacı; ortaokul öğrencilerinin oyunsallık, dijital oyun bağımlılığı ve saldırganlık düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkinin çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmesidir.Yöntem: İlişkisel tarama modelinin benimsendiği bu araştırmada, amaçsal örnekleme yöntemlerinden benzeşik örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Bu kapsamda çalışmanın örneklemini, 2016-2017 eğitim öğretim döneminde öğrenim görmekte olan Muğla İl Milli Eğitim müdürlüğüne bağlı Türdü 100. Yıl Ortaokulu öğrencileri ile Ankara İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğüne bağlı Maltepe Ortaokulu öğrencileri oluşturmaktadır. Katılımcıların % 55,6’sı kadın (n=213), % 44,4’ü erkektir (n=170). Türdü 100.Yıl Ortaokulunda öğrenim görmekte olan katılımcıların oranı % 49,6 iken (n=190), Maltepe Ortaokulunda öğrenim görmekte olan katılımcı oranı % 50,4’tür (n=193). Katılımcıların % 42’si 12 yaş (n=161), % 27,7’si 13 yaş (n=106), %30,3’ ü 14 yaş (n=116) grubundadır. Araştırmada veri toplamak amacıyla Oyunsallık ölçeği, Çocuklar İçin Dijital Oyun Bağımlılığı ölçeği ve Saldırganlık ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Toplanan veriler SPSS 24.0 paket program kullanılarak çeşitli analizlere tabi tutulmuştur. Bulgular: Araştırma bulgularına göre katılımcıların ölçeklerden almış oldukları toplam puanlarının okul türü, cinsiyet ve yaş değişkenleri arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde farklılık gösterdiği bulunmuştur. Aynı zamanda katılımcıların bu üç ölçekten almış oldukları toplam puanlar arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde ilişki olduğu görülmüştür. Sonuç ve Tartışma: Sonuç olarak; ortaokul öğrencilerinin oyunsallık, dijital oyun bağımlılığı ve saldırganlık düzeylerinin birbirleri ile ilişkili olduğu dolayısıyla bu problemin tespit ve çözümüne yönelik yapılacak olan araştırmaların bu üç durumu göz önünde bulundurarak ele alınmasının mevcut problemin çözümünde önemli olduğu söylenebilir.


Author(s):  
Desmond Bonner ◽  
Michael Dorneich

This paper presents work on the development of a Game-Based Learning (GBL) application’s requirements for female middle school students which teaches fundamental concepts of programming. Currently, there are not enough students who desire to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) career fields. Additionally, female are underrepresented in STEM fields, and increased female participation may help partially address this gap. GBL was used to encourage middle school student interest in STEM by allowing them to practice computer science concepts in engaging contexts outside the classroom. The game Sorceress of Seasons was built to teach fundamental programming concepts, and was based on six requirements specifically targeted at female middle school students. The game was tested with 15 middle school-aged students. Playing the game had a positive effect on students’ attitudes towards programming, with female students reporting a larger increase in computer science interest than males when compared with their previous attitudes. The results suggest that the game may be successful in increasing interest in STEM in these students. The requirements developed to guide the design of the game played a role in the game’s effectiveness, and may be useful when developing an educational tool targeting female STEM interest.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurullah Emir Ekinci ◽  
Ilimdar Yalcin ◽  
Cihan Ayhan

The aim of this study was to examine the loneliness levels of students at the middle school level and their digitalgame addictions in terms of various variables. The study group consisted of 404 volunteer students in 5th-8th gradein Kutahya, Turkey. As data collection tools, "Digital Game Addiction Scale", developed by Lemmens et al. (2009)and "UCLA Loneliness Scale" developed by Russell et al. (1980) were used. The SPSS package program was usedfor the analysis of the data. According to research findings, it was found that there was a statistically significantdifference between the levels of digital game addiction and loneliness according to participation status to sportsactivities (p<0,05). Moreover, it was found that the levels of both loneliness and digital game addiction of theparticipants to sports activity were lower than non-participating. When gender and age variables were examined, itwas determined that there was a statistically significant difference between digital game addiction, gender, and age(p<0,05), whereas there was no statistically difference between loneliness level and both variables (p>0,05). Inaddition, it was determined that there were a moderate level and positive relationship between the level of lonelinessand digital game addiction of middle school students.


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