Video Games and Math

The New York Times must have a video game theme this week. First, there was the article suggesting that video games were the new reading (or could lead to harder types of activities such as reading). The latest piece in this "series" profiles a video game to designed to promote the learning of algebra. Dimension M, which is touted as a "modern twist on the game show 'Jeopardy'," is a three-dimensional game where pre-algebra and algebra students complete missions within the virtual world setting. According to the Dimension M website, "Students become so captivated in solving problems that they forget they're learning but they don't forget what they've learned."

Using video games and virtual worlds to teach math is nothing new. Elliott and his colleagues (2002) created a game called AquaMOOSE. Like Dimension M, the purpose of AquaMOOSE was to "facilitate new kinds of math learning" (Eliiott et al., 2002). In the end, however, there were no statistically significant differences between the control group (traditional curriculum) and the experimental group (students who were able to use AquaMOOSE during classroom lab sessions). Moreover, some students in the experimental group claimed that the game confused them even more than the text-based lessons. Wonder if the outcome for Dimension M will be different?

As the most recent NYT article notes, the key question is whether video games can effectively teach math and other topics. Research initiatives at the Games for Learning Institute (G4LI), which is based at New York University, will concentrate on the use of games to teach math and science in middle school classrooms. Like the other programs, the goal of the G4LI games is to determine what is fun for children and tie that to what they are learning. Making learning fun is something that scholars such as Barab and his colleagues having been working on for several years with the Quest Atlantis project.

While the cost of Dimension M between $10 and $20 per child range , so far, the reports from schools using the game are positive. Principals are claiming that students are playing the games at home and after school. They also note that the game has reduced math phobia. And finally, the students contend they are studying more, because they want to play the game.

One thing the article doesn't discuss is how much of this enthusiasm toward the game is the result of a novelty effect. This isn't surprising because even results presented in peer-reviewed journals don't. I'm sure the G4LI group will be researching the reactions to the game over time, as well as the resulting student learning outcomes. It will be interesting to see whether the results of this project differ from ones such as AquaMOOSE.