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Digital Game Based Learning Research Prospectus Beverly Icard, Terry Gallivan, Celeste Wegner, Lou Ann Ellenburg EDUC 639 Dr. Courduff Liberty University http://www.nicodemiums.com/

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Abstract The purpose of this study will be to survey teachers, students and parents on knowledge, concerns and applicability to digital educational games becoming part of the curriculum. The concerns of teacher and parents are directed toward the effectiveness of games in the classroom. The defining goals of game-based learning in education is to bring educational digital gaming to the classroom to evoke the higher level skills in the areas of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Student must be challenged to look beyond the obvious to achieve in the cognitive developmental areas of critical thinking, reasoning and remembering. The concerns of educators are the lack of educational research on game-based learning to commit to a large scale commitment of implementing games in classroom practices. Teachers, students, and parents participating in this study will express their opinion during an online survey that will assess individual thoughts related to digital game-based learning and provide information regarding the type of games and the time students spend on gaming in the home. Keywords: game-based learning, gamers, motivate

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Digital Game Based Learning Research Prospectus Introduction Todays classrooms are integrated with a diverse group of students ranging from the involved learner to students who would desire to be anywhere but school. The student populace has transformed to digital learners, but the teacher and the classroom setting remains similar to times past. As laws, technology and students continue to change so must the teachers role in implementing content delivery to students. Digital games have been available to children for some time, but they remain a mystery to educators. Background/ Brief Review of the Literature In the past few years, educators have found themselves looking for best practices to engage students in the classroom. One view of engagement is to bring digital games into the learning environment, thus allowing students to bring prior knowledge into learning content material. This research prospectus defines game-based learning and the effectiveness it can contribute to education. It delineates the multiple stages of development in children and how implementing digital games can be beneficial in critical times of development. The prospectus will embark on a journey to answer the question of why Digital Game-based Learning is an asset to both the students and teachers. In exploring the advantages and disadvantages, the research will determine the avenues in which one may incorporate Game-based Learning into all content curriculum. Research is only beginning in the area of Game-based learning for the classroom. This research prospectus will endeavor to answer why there is a reluctance to digital gaming in the classroom. The writers will evaluate the technological aspects and barriers game-based learning can present in education.

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Problem Statement There seems to be an ever-changing need to modify the way students learn. In realizing change is not an easy thing; technology must be a two-way street. The teachers must buy into the technology being offered to them. It is common knowledge most students enjoy the gaming world and relish the thought of playing games at school. Therefore, it is the academic community who needs to be educated on the concepts gaming can bring into the classroom. The game must be a rule-based formal system with variable and quantifiable outcome, where different outcomes are assigned different values, the player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome; the player feels attached to the outcome, and the consequences of the activity are optional and negotiable. (Juul, 2003). The research required to bring educators on board to game-based learning is in exposing the benefits of gaming and overcoming the drawbacks. Purpose Statement The goal of this study will be to survey teachers, students and parents on experience, concerns and applicability to digital educational games becoming part of the curriculum. This research project will be an extension of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center study conducted with 505 teacher participants. It was determined fifty percent of teachers used some form of digital game in the classroom two days of the week. A stunning eighteen percent admitted to using a digital game daily this would seem to be a low percentage. An intriguing study observation is elementary teachers (57%) utilized games more often than middle school teachers (38%). (Ash, 2012). Either there is under validation of the benefits to digital gaming or a lack of understanding the full potential gaming can have on the learning process. In surveying teachers, students, and parents the intention is to uncover a theme to the reluctance to merging the technology students use at home with the curriculum to be learned in school.

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Significance of the Study The goal is to bring educational digital gaming to the classroom to evoke the higher level skills in the areas of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Vygotsky believed to achieve cognitive developmental areas of critical thinking, reasoning and remembering, the student must be challenged to look beyond the obvious. Vygotsky emphasizes learning is obtained when there is social interaction; otherwise, the lesson is not meaningful and thereby will not be retained to memory (Slavin, 2009). So far, educators have taught information from the manual without real-world application. Teachers need to level the playing field with activities; problem solving and living in the world, which digital game-based learning can accomplish. Research Questions When surveying a class of students and their teacher a perspective view of their use of digital game-based learning (DGBL) tools will be conducted to evaluate each persons perspective on its frequency of use in the classroom. A) Do teachers of different levels of tenure utilize gamebased instruction at different frequency levels in the classroom? B) Are teachers requesting funding for game-based instructional software, and the training in utilizing game-based instructional opportunities? C) Does the game-based instructional software meet the needs of the teacher with regards to instructional content while meeting the needs of the student in maintaining their interest and focus on the learning objectives? D) Does game-based instruction improve student learning and subject matter knowledge retention, for both future use and testability? E) How does prior knowledge affect the perception of DGBL?

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Research Hypothesis (is this section indented) H1 Upon reviewing the survey it will most likely be determined the teacher feels too much or just enough DGBL is being conducted in the classroom. Conversely, students will think there is not enough DGBL being conducted in the classroom. H2 It should be noted less experienced teachers will most likely use game-based instruction at a far higher rate than experienced teachers. H3 Tech savvy teachers will most likely request funding and the associated training for gamebased instructional software than their less tech savvy counterparts. The only deterrence in this area would be a lack of knowledge of the less experienced teachers not knowing the proper procedures for making the proper requests for the funding and training. H4 Student responses will find DGBL will be categorically mixed based upon the gender of the student with the subject being instructed and the game-based software being used. Some games will be more appealing to boys, and some will be more appealing to girls. H5 It will be noted students in game-based instructional settings will learn faster and retain more information, as they are more engaged with the learning process being portrayed in the game-based software being utilized. Null Hypothesis (is this section indented) N1 Conversely, review of the survey will indicate the teacher feels too little DGBL is being conducted in the classroom due to availability. Students may think there is too much DGBL and not enough traditional classroom time. N2 More experienced teachers may be willing to utilize game-based learning as a change from their long standing traditional teaching methods, thus, reinvigorating their teaching style. Less

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experienced teachers may be apprehensive to adopt this new style based on their training and what they think is expected of them. N3 Less experiences teachers may not request the funds for training and software not wanting to rock the boat. Experienced teachers may not feel intimidated by a strong administration when it comes to the requesting of funds and training. N4 It may be found students have no diversity with regards to the game-based learning software this could be due to the gender neutral design of the software acquired. N5 It may be found students in a game-based learning environment may not progress as quickly or retain as much knowledge as traditionally taught students, as the students in the gamebased learning environment may be too focused on the games instead of the intended learning aspect. Identification of Variables The research study will consist of three surveys to be distributed among teachers, students and parents to determine the possible use of educational digital games in the classroom. The teacher survey will determine areas of concerns and reluctance in incorporating DGBL into the curriculum. The same will be true for the parent survey. A student survey will be to determine the amount of game play at home and the interest in the types of games preferred. Research Design The way teachers present content material needs to change to help students learn. In realizing change is not an easy thing; technology must be an advanced learning tool for instruction. It is common knowledge most students enjoy the gaming world and relish the idea of playing games at school. The teachers must buy into the technology being offered to them. Game-based learning is an upcoming technological source for the educational world. Students

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must be challenged in unprecedented ways, and digital gaming may be the solution for some student success. Digital gaming is on the horizon to be a valuable resource to achieve student motivation, engagement, assess student understanding, as well as, other uses. The key is to inspire students to want to learn with the least resistance. Students are savvy to technology in the home environment by the usage of game consoles, computers, cell phones, and a variety of other devices. Gaming is not for entertainment but for serious learning with the ultimate goal of learning, retaining, and exceeding expectations for real-world application. Opportunities, when presented in a highly educational manner, have the potential to create a highly engaged and successful learning community. Yet, there is resistance from the K 12 community of educators to incorporate gaming into the curriculum. The study will be conducted using a survey to reveal the concerns and reluctance by teachers to incorporate DGBL into the curriculum. The parents will be asked to participate in a separate survey to address their personal experience with gaming, and if there are any concerns or reluctance to accept DGBL. Lastly, students will be surveyed to determine the games they play, how much time is spent on the playing, and their reasoning for DGBL. An independent team of surveyors will administer, collect and compile the results. Participants Taking into account the fact all stakeholders must be supportive of gaming in the classroom in order for it to be successful, the participants in this study will consist of teachers, students, and parents. Five hundred ten middle school students in grades six through eight will make up the students portion of this study. The parents of these children will be asked to participate in the study. Rounding out the group of participants will be the thirty-six teachers who are employed by the middle school.

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Currently, each classroom is equipped with a smart board on which students are able to interact. The school has already purchased access to such sites as BrainPop and Classworks which provide a minimal form of gaming for the classroom. Teachers have been given marginal training for the various programs that are available to them. Students are enthusiastic about using the games for learning purposes, but teachers are reluctant to incorporate them into their teaching design for various reasons to be determined by this study. Parents seem to be excited about the new technology that has been supplementary in the classrooms, but are not sure where DGBL can support their children. Setting The middle school in which the study will be conducted houses three grades six through eight including two classes with special needs students. All participants will have access to a computer lab or mobile lab at various times throughout the two week period of the survey administration. Instrumentation Teachers, students, and parents participating in this study will take an online survey that will assess individual opinions related to digital game-based learning and provide information regarding types of games and the time students spend on gaming in the home. Items of interest for teachers and parents will include basic knowledge of educational gaming, concerns about DGBL, and the application of DGBL in the classroom as a means of teaching content materials. Both multiple choice and free response questions will be included as well as statements that participants may or may not agree to. Teachers and students will be provided with time and equipment at school in order to complete their surveys. Parents will receive two notifications via ParentLink concerning the survey. Parents will be invited to use the schools computer lab or to

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use their personal devices to complete the survey via online access to the survey. The surveys will be open for a two-week period. Procedures and Data Collection The online survey will be given to the participants, seven varied statements will be asserted, and participants will use a 5-point scale to show their level of agreement, disagreement, or neutrality. Additionally, six multiple choice questions will be included to allow participants to choose the answer that best describes their outlook on DGBL. Finally, there will be two openended questions for participants to answer stating the reasons for their personal outlook on DGBL as an avenue to teaching in the classroom. The survey will be constructed by the authors and scrutinized by an individual survey firm to insure the appropriateness of the questions. The survey firm will then provide access to the survey via the internet and will be responsible for collecting data from the participants. It will be the responsibility of the surveyors to insure responses have been obtained from a minimum of 95% of each group of participants. This may require a face-to-face meeting to obtain a completed survey. The firm will compile the information and provide an analysis of the results to the authors in a timely manner. Data Analysis The results will be collected, and computer analyzed for comparisons. The open-ended questions will be coded and recorded verbatim. The validity of the research will be ensured through triangulation of data and interview responses as well as other means of accountability. It is believed the findings will show a split among teachers responses and the results will align with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center survey. (Ash, 2012).

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It is assumed the teachers will report having less personal experience with digital games while a majority will report having no experience with digital games on a personal level. The data will indicate the majority of the teachers are concerned with implementing games-based learning in the classroom. The perception of educational games stems from a lack of understanding of advanced computer gaming products and the need for more extensive professional development with teachers will be the contributing factors. As more research develops, this may change. Another participant of the study is the parents. The study prediction will be parents have mixed beliefs about the effects games will provide in the classroom. McGonigal (2011) points out parents who show opposition to the use of video games in the classroom base their criticism on what they observe when the player is observed at home. From the descriptive statistics, it will show a clear the majority of parents will have no experience with video games and believe this will show both the negative and positive effects of video games. Overall parents scores will reflect their preference for video games as low, thus, relate to the low interest in incorporating DGBL into the learning curriculum. The student results envisioned on the study will show a strong majority for incorporating DGBL into the curriculum. The study will verify the fact students are savvy to technology in the home environment by the usage of game consoles, computers, cell phones, and a variety of other devices. The intention to be shown is students spend personal time using technology, therefore, will find interest in combining the world of technology at home with the instruction in the classroom environment. Assumptions The data results will correlate with Rice (2010) concerns of using video games in the classroom and concludes there were six barriers to using games in the classroom. These barriers

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are: 1) Negative perceptions toward video games as educational components. 2) The difficulty of providing adequate educational games. 3) A lack of sufficient computer hardware. 4) A school day divided into short class periods. 5) A lack of affordances. 6) A lack of alignment to state and national standards. The results assumption will indicate a majority of the teachers will agree game-based learning motivates students while a lower percentage will think gaming demotivates them. Parent support will be determined by their experience with DGBL, as well as, their childs experience. Students will overwhelming prefer DGBL to traditional classroom instruction. See Appendix A, B, and C for example outcomes for surveys obtained from teachers, students, and parents. Limitations Teachers with experience with games will be open-minded to using DGBL in curriculum design. Traditional teachers will feel intimated by using a resource they are not familiar with in classroom. Not all students have personal game systems and will not be as familiar with gaming. There will be bias observations by parents and teachers about DGBL because they are not gamers. Lack of information about types of educational games.

Conclusion McGonigal states her research on DGBL over the last decade at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the Institute of the Future has proven to provide students with four ingredients

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that lead to a happy, meaningful life, satisfying work, real hope for success, strong social connections and a chance to become a part of something bigger than themselves (McGonigal, 2011). This research prospectus will provide data to support the reluctance and concerns afforded by teachers and parents can be overcome through educating on the benefits of DGBL in the classroom. Students will provide the reasons for introducing DGBL as a resource to enhance the learning experience. This study will provide the foundation to overcoming the concerns and reluctance to DGBL. As studies continue to provide the same results; the educational community can reverse the DGBL opposition to emersion to acceptance. The bottom line for students is hands-on experience through DGBL will yield the results of heighten skills in the areas of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

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References Ash, K. (2012, May 2). Digital gaming in classrooms seen gaining popularity. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/ Juul, J. (2003). The Game, the player, the world: Looking for a heart of gameness. Retrieved from http://www.jesperjuul.net/text/gameplayerworld/ McGonigal, J. (2011, January 22). Be a Gamer, Save the World. The Benefits of Videogames WSJ.com. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704590704576092460302990884 Rice, J. W. (2010). New Media Resistance: Barriers to Implementation of Computer Video Games in the Classroom. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 16(3), 249261. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/205848074/fulltextPDF?accou ntid=12085 Slavin, R. E. (2009). Educational psychology: theory and practice (9th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon Publishers.

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Appendix A Serious Games Inactive Study Teacher Results

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Appendix B Gamify Learning Study Student Results

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According to Project Tomorrow, 2011

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Appendix C Gamify Learning Study Parents Results

Project Tomorrow, 2011 Project Tomorrow, 2011

Project Tomorrow, 2011