Eliana Medina

EDPSY 528: Achievement Motivation in Education

Final paper (literature review)

Autumn 2003

 

 

Comparison of Video Games and Educational Software:

A Motivational Perspective

 

   Information and communication technologies have improved dramatically in the last decade, making educational software and video games very powerful tools for teaching and learning. Both tools provide features that create excellent educational learning environments and opportunities, such as interaction, feedback, specific goals, established procedures, continual feeling of challenge, direct engagement, novelty, collaboration and motivation. The question that arises is, if educational software and video games are excellent learning tools, why do the majority of k-12 students feel more motivated to learn from video games rather than from educational software? Furthermore, what motivational factors would make video games better teaching tools than educational software, and under what conditions?

 

   The high motivational factor video games provide for k-12 students, predicts an improved and superior learning curve over existing educational software and tools. This paper will explore this argument by analyzing differences and similarities between video games and traditional educational software from a motivational standpoint using self-efficacy and self-determination theory as a theoretical framework. Moreover, I will evaluate state of the art of video games and educational software to teach curriculum-based content in classrooms. Additionally, this paper will recommend future research and implications in this area.

REFERENCES

Course Readings

 

Bandura, A., & Schunk, D.H. (1981). Cultivating competence, self-efficacy, and intrinsic interest through proximal self-motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41(3), 586-598.

 

Harackiewicz, J., Manderlink, G., & Sansone, C. (1984). Rewarding pinball wizardry. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47(2), 287-300.

 

Lee, O., & Anderson, C. (1993). Task engagement and conceptual change in middle school science classrooms. American Educational Research Journal, 30(3), 585-610.

 

Morgan C., & Sansone C. (1992). Intrinsic motivation and education: Competence in context. Motivation and Emotion, 16(3), 249-270.

 

Rigby, S., Deci, L., Patrick, B., and Ryan, R. (1992). Beyond the intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy: Self-determination in motivation and learning. Motivation and Emotion, 16(3), 165-185.  

 

Ryan, R. & Deci, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychology, 55(1), 68-78

 

Schunk, D.H. (1989). Self-efficacy and achievement behaviors. Educational Psychology Review, 1(3), 185-186.

 

Turner, J. (1995). The influence of classroom contexts on young children’s motivation for literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(3), 410-441.

 

 

Additional Readings

 

Alessi, S., & Trollip, S. (2001) Multimedia for learning. Methods and development. Pearson Ally & Bacon. Third Edition.

 

Amoy, A., Naicker, K., and Vincent, J., & Adams, C. (1999). The use of computer games as an educational tool: Identification of appropriate game types and game. British Journal of Educational Technology, 30(4), 311-321

 

Bangert-Drowns, R., & Pyke, C. (2002). Teacher ratings of student engagement with educational software: An exploratory study. Educational Technology, research and development. Washington: 50(2), 23-38

 

Becker, K. (2001). Teaching with games: The minesweeper and asteroids experience. Journal of Circuits, Systems and Computers. 17(2), 23-33

 

Bostock, S. (1995). Classifications of educational software. Learning Technology.

http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/cs/Stephen_Bostock/docs/index.html    

 

Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (1999). How people learn. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

 

Crawford, C. (1982). The art of computer game design. MacGraw-Hill Osborne Media   

http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Coverpage.html

 

Davies, C.H.J. (2002). Student engagement with simulations: a case study. Computers & Education, 39, 271–282

www.elsevier.com/locate/compedu

 

De Aguilera, M., & Méndiz, A. (2003). Video games and education. ACM Computers in Entertainment, 1(1), 1-14.

 

Dumbleton, Tim (2001). Video games in education. British Educational Communications and technology agency, http://www.becta.org.uk/

 

Jonassen, D., Peck, K., & Wilson, B. (1999). Learning with technology. A constructivist perspective. N.J.: Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall.

 

Gee, J.P. (2003). What video games have to teach about learning and literacy.  Palgrave Macmillan; 1st edition.

 

Jones, S. (2003). Let the games begin: Gaming technology and entertainment among college students. The Pew Internet & American Life Project

http://www.pewinternet.org/netresources/index.asp

 

Malone, T.W. (1980). What makes things fun to learn? A study of intrinsically motivating computer games. (Report CIS-7). Palo Altao, CA: Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.

 

McFarlane A., Heald Y. & Sparrowhawk A. (2002). Report on the use of Games.  Communications of the ACM, 45(7), 40-44 

 http://www.teem.org.uk/

 

Okan, Z. (2003). Edutainment: is learning at risk?. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34(3), 255–264.

 

Pajares, F., and Urdam, T. (2002). Academic motivation of adolescents. Connecticut. Information Age Publishing.

 

Pintrich, P. and Schunk D. (1996). Motivation in education. Prentice Hall.

 

Prensky, Marc. (2000). Digital game-based learning. McGraw-Hill trade; 1st Edition.

 

Rosas, R., Nussbaum, M., Cumsille, P., Marianov, V., Correa, M. (2002). Beyond Nintendo: design and assessment of educational video games for first and second grade students. Elsevier Science Ltd.

 

Squire, K., (2002). Video Games in Education. Comparative Media Studies. MIT

http://cms.mit.edu/games/education/pubs/IJIS.doc 

 

Vogel, D., &  Klassen, J. (2001). Technology-supported learning: status, issues and trends. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, Hong Kong, 17, 104-114.