The effectiveness of games for
educational purposes:
a review of the research.
Josephine M. Randel, Barbara A. Morris, C.
Douglas Wetzel, Betty V. Whitehill. (1992)
Simulation and Gaming. 25, 261-276.
Findings:
1.) Examined 68 studies directly or indirectly(in reviews conducted before 1984) on the difference between simulations/games and conventional instruction in student performance.
36 (56%) found no difference
22 (32%) found differences favoring simulations/games
5 (7%) favored simulations/games, but their controls were questionable
3 (5%) found differences favoring conventional instruction
2.) Seven out of eight studies involving math found that the use of games is superior to traditional classroom instruction for improving math achievement. Subject matter areas where very specific content can be targeted and objectives precisely defined are more likely to show beneficial effects for gaming.
3.) The greatest number of studies on simulation/gaming is in the area of social sciences. The majority of these studies (33 out of 46) showed no difference in student performance between games/simulations and conventional instruction.
4.) Five out of six studies demonstrated that games can not teach language arts effectively, particularly when specific objectives are targeted.
5.) Social science games tend not to use a computer, while math, physics, and language arts games tend to use a computer.
6.) Simulations/games show greater retention over time than conventional classroom instruction.
7.) In 12 of 14 studies, students reported more interest in simulation and game activities than in more conventional activities.
Jerry Seay 1997