scholarly journals Using Video Game-Based Instruction in an EFL Program: Understanding the Power of Video Games in Education

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor Alejandro Galvis Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Military Academy ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Language Context

This small-scale action-research study examines the perceptions of four students in a military academy in Colombia undergoing the processof using a mainstream video game in their EFL classes instead of classic forms of instruction. The video game used served to approach EFL by means of language exploratory activities designed according to the context present in the video game and the course linguistic objectives. This study was conducted on the grounds that computer technology offers the possibility of enhancing EFL instruction by means of simulating and augmenting the target language context. The researcher’s belief is that video games offer a learning environment closely related to students’ experiences and preferences. Results from this study suggest that students were more entertained and attentive and demonstrated more engagement and disposition towards their English classes. Students also learned about matters related to the target language and culture, and were not only circumscribed to linguistic ones. Similarly, results from this study shed some light on the importance of offering access to technology to students before they advance to higher education that support video-gaming practices in the classroom.

Gambling-like video game practices: A cross-sectional study of links with problem gambling and disordered gaming

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Zendle
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
Clinically Significant

A variety of practices have recently emerged which are related to both video games and gambling. Most prominent of these are loot boxes. However, a broad range of other activities have recently emerged which are also related to both gambling and video games: esports betting, real-money video gaming, token wagering, social casino play, and watching videos of both loot box opening and gambling on game streaming services like Twitch.Whilst a nascent body of research has established the robust existence of a relationship between loot box spending and both problem gambling and disordered gaming, little research exists which examines whether similar links may exist for the diverse practices outlined above. Furthermore, no research has thus far attempted to estimate the prevalence of these activities.A large-scale survey of a representative sample of UK adults (n=1081) was therefore conducted in order to investigate these issues. Engagement in all measured forms of gambling-like video game practices were significantly associated with both problem gambling and disordered gaming. An aggregate measure of engagement was associated with both these outcomes to a clinically significant degree (r=0.23 and r=0.43). Engagement in gambling-like video game practices appeared widespread, with a 95% confidence interval estimating that 16.3% – 20.9% of the population engaged in these activities at least once in the last year. Engagement in these practices was highly inter-correlated: Individuals who engaged in one practice were likely to engage in several more.Overall, these results suggest that the potential effects of the blurring of lines between video games and gambling should not primarily be understood to be due to the presence of loot boxes in video games. They suggest the existence of a convergent ecosystem of gambling-like video game practices, whose causal relationships with problem gambling and disordered gaming are currently unclear but must urgently be investigated.

The Contribution of Videogames to Anti-Social Attitudes and Behaviours amongst Youngsters

2011 ◽  
pp. 237-251
Author(s):  
Olga Albuquerque ◽  
Gillian Grace Moreira
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Parental Control ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Simulation Games ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
And Gender

Using questionnaires and interviews, the video-gaming habits of 136 youngsters, ranging from the ages of 9 to 15 years, were assessed, taking into consideration their age and gender. It was found that many youngsters are playing games which are not appropriate for their age group, and that long hours are spent at computer screens on these games without parental control or supervision. In fact, most parents do not even know what games their children are playing never mind whether they are rated as suitable for their age group. In addition, differences between boys and girls were significant, allowing us to confirm that boys prefer more action-oriented games while girls choose simulation games. Although the small-scale nature of this study does not allow us to generalise its conclusions, its findings are relevant and can point the way for future studies of this type. The centrality of video games in the lives of children and teenagers today is such that these and the practices they engender need to be taken into account when considering the rise of anti-social, aggressive, and at times violent attitudes and behaviours amongst youngsters.

The U.S. Video Game Industry

2009 ◽  
pp. 499-514
Author(s):  
Janet C. Dunlop
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Video Game Industry ◽  
Star Wars ◽  
Game Industry ◽  
Cover Art ◽  
Capitalist Ideology ◽  
The U.S

Today’s media are vast in both form and influence; however, few cultural studies scholars address the video gaming industry’s role in domestic maintenance and global imposition of U.S. hegemonic ideologies. In this study, video games are analyzed by cover art, content, and origin of production. Whether it is earning more “powers” in games such as Star Wars, or earning points to purchase more powerful artillery in Grand Theft Auto, capitalist ideology is reinforced in a subtle, entertaining fashion. This study shows that oppressive hegemonic representations of gender and race are not only present, but permeate the majority of top-selling video games. Finally, the study traces the origins of best-selling games, to reveal a virtual U.S. monopoly in the content of this formative medium.

The U.S. Video Game Industry

2011 ◽  
pp. 231-246
Author(s):  
Janet C. Dunlop
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Video Game Industry ◽  
Star Wars ◽  
Game Industry ◽  
Cover Art ◽  
Capitalist Ideology ◽  
The U.S

Today’s media are vast in both form and influence; however, few cultural studies scholars address the video gaming industry’s role in domestic maintenance and global imposition of U.S. hegemonic ideologies. In this study, video games are analyzed by cover art, content, and origin of production. Whether it is earning more “powers” in games such as Star Wars, or earning points to purchase more powerful artillery in Grand Theft Auto, capitalist ideology is reinforced in a subtle, entertaining fashion. This study shows that oppressive hegemonic representations of gender and race are not only present, but permeate the majority of top-selling video games. Finally, the study traces the origins of best-selling games, to reveal a virtual U.S. monopoly in the content of this formative medium.

scholarly journals Food intake response to exercise and active video gaming in adolescents: effect of weight status

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Chaput ◽  
A. Tremblay ◽  
B. Pereira ◽  
Y. Boirie ◽  
M. Duclos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Adolescent Boys ◽  
Active Video Game ◽  
Active Video Gaming ◽  
Active Video ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAlthough a few data are available regarding the impact of video games on energy intake (EI) in lean adolescents, there is no evidence on the effect of passive and active video gaming on food intake in both lean and obese youth. It is also unknown whether isoenergetic active video games and exercise differently affect food consumption in youth. In all, twelve lean and twelve obese adolescent boys (12–15 years old) had to complete four 1-h sessions in a cross-over design study: control (CON; sitting), passive video game (PVG; boxing game on Xbox 360), active video game (AVG; boxing game on Xbox Kinect 360) and exercise (EX; cycling). The exercise and active video game activities were designed to generate the same energy expenditure (EE). EE was measured using a K4b2 portable indirect calorimeter. Ad libitum food intake and appetite sensations were assessed following the sessions. AVG and EX-EE were significantly higher in obese participants and significantly higher compared with PVG and CON in both groups. Obese participants significantly ate more than lean ones in all four conditions (P<0·001). EI did not differ between conditions in obese participants (CON: 4935 (sd 1490) kJ; PVG: 4902 (sd 1307) kJ; AVG: 4728 (sd 1358) kJ; EX: 4643 (sd 1335) kJ), and was significantly lower in lean participants after EX (2847 (sd 577) kJ) compared with PVG (3580 (sd 863) kJ) and AVG (3485 (sd 643) kJ) (P<0·05). Macronutrient intake was not significantly different between the groups or conditions. Hunger was significantly higher and satiety was lower in obese participants but no condition effect was observed. Overall, moderate-intensity exercise provides better effect on energy balance than an isoenergetic hour of active video gaming in lean adolescent boys by dually affecting EE and EI.

scholarly journals INFLUENCE OF VIDEO GAMES ON THE ACQUISITION OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Verbum ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Domas Rudis ◽  
Svetozar Poštić
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Video Game ◽  
English Language ◽  
Game Playing ◽  
Video Game Playing ◽  
English Classes ◽  
The Media

In the past decade or two, there has been an obvious increase in the number of school children profici­ent in English. One of the reasons is the number of English classes per week, but even more important­ly, it is the influence of the media. Students are greatly exposed to video games. In this paper, a survey was conducted in order to find the connection between video-game playing and English proficiency. Ninety six students filled out the survey answering a range of question on the quantity and quality of their video game playing. The conclusion drawn was that video games have a profound impact on language learning. The areas of most benefit were vocabulary and pronunciation. As a form of highly desirable entertainment, video games provide a positive and motivating atmosphere, which is perfect for adopting a foreign language.

scholarly journals Influence of action video gaming on spatial representation in the haptic modality

2020 ◽  
Vol 238 (12) ◽  
pp. 2769-2781
Author(s):  
Hanneke I. Van Mier ◽  
Hui Jiao
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Reference Frame ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Spatial Representation ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Dominant Hand ◽  
Egocentric Reference Frame ◽  
Action Video Games ◽  
Set Up

Abstract Spatial representation in the haptic domain has been shown to be prone to systematic errors. When participants are asked to make two bars haptically parallel, their performance deviates from what would be veridically parallel. This is hypothesized to be caused by the bias of the egocentric reference frame. Stimulating the use of an allocentric reference frame has previously been shown to improve performance in haptic parallelity matching. The aim of the current study was to investigate the influence of action video game experience on parallelity performance. We hypothesized that participants who extensively play action video games with a so-called ‘bird’s-eye view’ are likely to process spatial information more allocentrically, resulting in better performance in haptic parallelity matching. This was tested in two groups of male participants, 10 participants with extensive action video gaming experience (AVGPs) and 10 participants without or hardly any action video gaming experience (NAVGPs). Additionally, the effect of visual–haptic practice on haptic parallelity performance was tested. In the haptic blocks, blindfolded participants had to feel the orientation of a reference bar with their non-dominant hand and had to match this orientation on a test bar with their dominant hand. In subsequent visual–haptic blocks, they had full view of the set-up and visually paralleled both bars. As hypothesized, AVGPs performed significantly better in haptic blocks than NAVGPs. Visual–haptic practice resulted in significantly better performance in subsequent haptic blocks in both groups. These results suggest that playing action video games might enhance haptic spatial representation, although a causative relationship still needs to be established.

Active and Sedentary Video Game Time

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Scharrer ◽  
Adam Zeller
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
The Body ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Relative Time ◽  
Active Video Games ◽  
Active Video

This study used survey methodology to measure opinions of 13- to 15-year-olds (N = 176) about sedentary and active video games and the relative amount of time spent with those games, and evaluated correlations between time spent with those two types of games and the body mass index (BMI) of the respondent. Results showed no evidence of any correlation between BMI and relative time devoted to video game usage by type of game (active versus sedentary), nor any support for a correspondence between overall levels of time spent with video games and BMI. Yet, the data did point to a nonlinear association in which those who devoted more than 50% of the total time they spend with video games on sedentary games had a higher BMI than those who spent less than 50% of their video gaming time with sedentary games. Important gender differences also emerged in the adolescents’ opinions of active versus sedentary games.

Indie Rocks! Mapping Independent Video Game Design

2005 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Video Game Design ◽  
Design Production

Though many video games scholars and journalists tend to train their sights on ‘big gaming’, there is a vibrant and varied sector of independent game design, production and distribution. Indie gaming is not a unitary field and, as well as producing a diverse range of games, indie designers occupy a range of positions vis-à-vis mainstream video gaming. Therefore, while this article gives examples of this diversity, it is by no means an exhaustive account. Industry watchers and events are together suggesting that low-cost, independent modes of production will become increasingly important and prevalent in the immediate future. Scholars and practitioners alike will do well to understand the historical trajectories of indie design, and to keep pace with its present and future diversity.

scholarly journals Video game experience affects performance, cognitive load, and brain activity in laparoscopic surgery training

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasan Onur Keles ◽  
Ahmet Omurtag
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Functional Brain Imaging ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Surgery Training ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Neural Underpinnings

Abstract BACKGROUND Video games can be a valuable tool for surgery training. Individuals who interact or play video games, tend to have a better visuospatial ability when compared to non-gamers. Numerous studies suggest that video game experience is associated with faster acquisition, greater sharpening, and longer retention of laparoscopic skills. Given the neurocognitive complexity of surgery skill, multimodal approaches are required to understand how video game playing enhances laparoscopy skill. METHODS Data from thirteen surgeons with varying levels of laparoscopy experience and no video game experience, and 27 students with no laparoscopy experience and varying levels of video game experience performed standard laparoscopic training tasks. Their performance, subjective cognitive loading, and prefrontal cortical activity were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS The surgeons performed the tasks significantly faster, had significantly lower cognitive load as well as less left prefrontal activation, relative to the non-gamer novices. In gamer novices, the task completion time decreased significantly with increasing game experience. The cognitive load decreased significantly with increasing gaming experience in gamer novices and with laparoscopy experience in surgeons. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that along the dimensions of performance, cognitive load, and brain activity, the effects of video gaming experience on novice laparoscopy trainees are similar to those of real-world laparoscopy experience on surgeons. We believe that the neural underpinnings of surgery skill and its links with gaming experience need to be investigated further using wearable functional brain imaging.

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