Can Playing Games Help Students Master Concepts …student: Clash of Clans, Club Penguin, FIFA,...

DOI: 10.4018/IJGBL.2019040104

International Journal of Game-Based LearningVolume 9 • Issue 2 • April-June 2019

Copyright©2019,IGIGlobal.CopyingordistributinginprintorelectronicformswithoutwrittenpermissionofIGIGlobalisprohibited.

55

Can Playing Games Help Students Master Concepts from General Psychology Classes?Dianne Zielinski, HVCC, Troy, USA

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4971-8932

ABSTRACT

Aspartofafinalprojectforageneralpsychologycourse,studentswererequiredtoplayagame,eitherdigital/videooronaboard.Studentsselectedtheirowngames,andwereaskedtoidentifypsychologicalprinciplesintheirgameplay.Topicsincludedthebrain,sensationandperception,humandevelopment,learning,motivation,intelligence,personality,andmentaldisorders.Studentssuccessfullyappliedall topics togameplay,buttovaryingdegrees.Studentdiscussionsonthebrainandintelligencewerewell covered. Discussions on personality and psychological disorders issues wererelativelypoor.Studentswereabletomakeconnectionsbetweenconceptsandtheirgame-playexperiences.

KeywoRdApplied Learning, College Students, Game-Based Learning, Learning, Psychology Class

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4971-8932


56

1. INTRodUCTIoN

Playinggameshasbeenandcontinuestobearecommendedwaytolearn.Thisideaalignswellwithconstructivism,orstudent-centeredlearning.Piaget,Vygotsky,andMontessorihaveallemphasizedtheroleofplayinlearningandhowitaidschildrenandstudentswithintegratingnewinformationintotheirknowledgebase.Thisledtothequestion:wouldplayinggamesinhighereducationalsofosterlearningforstudents?

Play has been linked with improved learning in student-centered pedagogy.Gamesencouragecollaboration(Pivec&Pivec,2011),whichislinkedwithimprovedlearning.Educationalgames,includingcardgamesbasedonUnoorCrazyEights,thatcapitalizeonplayhavebeeneffectiveinhelpingstudentslearnminerals(Spandler,2016),andinencouragingcollaboration.Havingstudentswatchabiologyprofessordemonstrateacomplexprocessbydrinkingfakeurinefostersanemotional,personalconnectionfor learning(Lujan&DiCarlo,2016);afterward,studentswhosawthefakedemonstrationhadbetterrecallandunderstandingofthebiologicalprocessthanthosewhodidnot.Ingeneral,playinggamesisassociatedwithimprovedlearning.

Inthecollegeenvironment,gameshaveproventobeusefullearningtools.Inasimulationgamecreatedspecificallyforachemistrycourse,studentsbuiltabatteryandtheirprocesseswererecorded(Hou,2015).Studentswhoweremoreinvolvedintheactivityshowedgreaterreflectionandproblem-solvingactions,andalldemonstratedapositivefocusevenwhenthefinalproductdidnotwork.Similarly,inaSQLcomputerlanguagecollegeclass,professorscreatedagameforstudentstolearnthelanguagewhileinteractingwithnon-playercharacters(NPCs)whiletrackingdownacriminalmastermind (Soflano, Connolly, & Hainey, 2015). Several different methods ofinteractionwiththeNPCswereoffered,includingapicture-orientedoption.Studentsgravitatedtowardtheinteractionstylethathelpedthembestlearnthematerialandsolve the game’s problem. Making games personally meaningful for these collegecoursesimprovedmeasuresofstudentsuccess.

Student success has also been linked with video games specifically made foreducationalpurposes.Onesucheducationalvideogamethatfocusedontheprocessofidentifyingviruseswasusedasasupplementinacourseformedicallaboratorystudents(Fleischmann&Ariel,2016).Thoughsomecomplainedaboutthesimplicityof the game, 90% of the students reported enjoyment, learning, and acquiringappliedknowledgeforvirusrecognition.Engineeringstudentsdemonstratedprojectmanagement learningwithavideogame that required themtowork in teamsonaconstructionproject(Misfeldt,2015).Thegamerequiredstudentstocreatecompanies,identify their strengths and weaknesses, and address obstacles and challenges tocompletingconstruction.Student reportedhaving funplaying thegamewhilealsoprovidingreal-worldexperiences,emphasizingtheimportanceofcollaboration,andbeingabletothinkstrategically.Arole-playinggamemeanttoteachsustainabilityusedwithengineeringstudentsrequiredthemtohelppeopleandorganizationscreategreenbuildings(Dib&Adamo-Villani,2014).Whencomparedtonon-playingpeers,thosewhoparticipatedshowedhighratesofdeclarativeandproceduralknowledgeaboutsustainability.Actingindividually,studentsparticipatedinarole-playinggame


57

helpingpeopleandorganizationscreategreenbuildings.Inadditiontofacultycreatedgames,educationalgamesarealsolinkedwithimprovedlearningforcollegestudents.

Videogamescanhelplearningevenwhenthecontentdoesnotdirectlyrelatetoclass.The engineering simulationgameEnergyCitywas repurposed for a collegeclasstohelpJapanesecollegestudentslearnEnglish(Franciosi&Mehring,2015).Students were tasked with building a city that was energy efficient with minimaldamageandreportedtwoeducationalbenefits toplayingthegame.TheyfeltmoreconfidentwiththeiruseofEnglishandimprovedtheirskillsatcombiningmultipleinformationsourceswithdifferentperspectives.SecondLife,anonlinevirtualworldthatencouragesinteractionandexplorationoftheworld,hasbeenusedsupplementaleducationaltool,specificallyinhealthcaremanagementandparamedictrainingcourses(Beaumont, Savin-Baden, Conradi, & Poulton, 2014). Students played out severalscenarios,andweregradedonsomeofthesimulations.Studentssaidtheyappreciatedplayingthegamebecausetheycouldpersonalizetheirexperiencebygoingattheirownpaceandthroughexperimentingwithdifferentapproaches.Theyalsoappreciatedbeingabletocollaboratewithothersinthegame.Gamesandplaydonotneedtobedirectlylinkedtoeducationalobjectivestobeeffectivelearningtools.

Playandgamesare linkedwithstudent learning.Researchindicates thatboardgames,videogames,andvirtualworldsareeffectivelearningtoolsforcollegestudents,bothwithdirectand indirectconnections tocoursematerial.However,sincemanycollegestudentsplaygamesoutsideofclass, theyalreadyhaveregularaccess toalearning tool. This leads to the question: can students learn about and understandcoursematerialwhenplayingagameof their choice?To that end, thepurposeofthis studywas toexplorehowstudentsexperienceconceptsand theories taught ina general psychology course when playing a board or video game of their choice.Students’responseswereevaluatedtodeterminewhethertheywereabletoconnectclassroomtheorytogameplay,andhowwelltheywereabletodosoinseveralfieldsofpsychologicalstudy.

2. MeTHod2.1. SubjectsAfterapprovalfromIRB,thisstudyusedstudent-submittedfinalprojectsfortheFall2015andSpring2016semesters,foratotaloffourclasses.Studentsweresentanemailrequestingpermissiontousetheirfinalprojectsaspartofaresearchstudy.Iftheywerewillingtolettheirfinalprojectbeusedinthestudy,studentswereinstructedtosendareturnemailwiththeirpermissionforatotaloftenfinalprojects.

Ofthe115studentsenrolledinthecourse,42studentswereineligibletoparticipatedue to their dual status as high school and college students. Of the remaining 63students,43shouldhavesubmittedfinalprojectsas14studentswereexemptfromthe final andanother sixwithdrewbefore theendof the semester.Thirty studentssubmittedfinalprojectsconnectingpsychologicalprinciplestogameplay,andwhenasked,tenstudents,fourfemaleandsixmale,gavepermissionfortheirfinalprojects


58

tobeused inanalysis.Noadditionaldemographic informationwascollected fromstudentswhoallowedtheirfinalprojectsbeusedinthisstudy.

Asperthefinalprojectinstructions,studentsselectedtheirownvideoorboardgames,foreightdifferentgamesintotal.Threestudentsreportedusing“CallofDuty,”afirst-personshootervideogame.Eachofthefollowinggameswereplayedbyonestudent:ClashofClans,ClubPenguin,FIFA,Hedbandz,LeagueofLegends,Madden16,andMinecraft.DetailsonthegamescanbefoundinTable1.

2.2. ProcedureAspartofafinalprojectassignment,studentswereaskedtoplayagamethatrequiredcollaborationwhilemanipulatingavirtualworldanddiscernwhatrolepsychologicalprinciples had in the game. Students could choose a board or video game, andsuggestions were provided. They were informed of final project requirements onthefirstdayofclassastheywereexpectedtoplaytheirchosengamefortheentiresemester, anddirectionswereprovided in the syllabus andonlineviaBlackboard.Theassignmentinstructions,includingthequestionstobeanswered,arelistedintheAppendix.Thequestionsfocusedonkeyareas inageneralpsychologycourse: thebrain,sensationandperception,humandevelopment,learning,motivation,intelligence,personality,andpsychologicaldisorders.

Studentswereaskedtoplaytheirselectedgameweeklyforatotalof15weeksbeginningthefirstweekofclass.Theywereallinstructedtostartplayingagamethatbothrequiresthemtomanipulateaplayenvironmentwheretheiractionsinfluenceanotherpersonandinvolvesinteractionswithothers.Studentswerealsoadvisedtostartplayingandconnectionswouldbemadethroughoutthesemestertocoursematerial.Whennewmaterialwasintroduced,classdiscussioninvolvedhowitmightrelateto

Table 1. Games used for the final project

Title Game type

Platform Ratings

CallofDuty–notspecified

video nonegiven M–Mature,Ages17+*

CallofDuty–BlackOps video nonegiven M–Mature,Ages17+*

CallofDuty–ModernWarfare2

video nonegiven M–Mature,Ages17+*

ClashofClans video nonegiven none

ClubPenguin video nonegiven E–Everyone*

FIFA video xBox E–Everyone*

LeagueofLegends video nonegiven T–Teen*

Madden16 video PS4 E–Everyone*

Minecraft video nonegiven E10+-Everyone,Ages10+*

Hedbandz board N/A

*Entertainment Software Association. (2017). Entertainment Software Rating Board. Retrieved from http://esrb.org/

http://esrb.org/


59

gameplay.Forexample,duringdiscussionofthelobesofthecerebralcortex,studentswereaskedwhatvisualskillsingameplaycouldtheyconnecttotheiroccipitallobeorwhatcomplexmotorskillswouldbewiredintheparietallobe,suchasthoseneededtomanipulateacontroller.Duringclassescoveringclassicalandoperantconditioning,studentswereaskedwhatsightsandsoundsduringgameplayindicateagoodorbadthingisabouttohappen,suchasinWorldofWarcraft,orwhatrewardsorpunishmentscomefromcertainactions,suchasbuyingpropertiesinMonopoly.

2.3. AnalysisStudentresponsesweredistributedinaspreadsheet,witheachfinalprojectquestionplaced in a separate page. Each student’s comments were listed in his or her owncolumnoneachpage,andaconsistentorderwaskept throughout.Analysisof theresponsesidentifiedconceptsandtheoriescoveredinclassforeachquestion’stopic.

3. FINdINGS3.1. Final Project Responses for the BrainAlltenstudentslistedmultipleobservationsabouttheirbrains’involvementingameplayforatotalof75responses.Ofthose,sixwereincorrect.Theerrorswerewiththemidbrainbeingresponsibleforincorporatingaudioandvisualinput(3students),theparietallobebeingkeytovisualprocessing(2students),andthetemporallobealsobeingresponsibleforvisualinterpretation(1student).

Themostexamplesofbraininvolvementwereaboutthefrontallobe.Ofthesixteencomments,tenwereabouttheimportanceofdecision-makingwhenplayingagame.Anotherthreecommentswereaboutthecomplexemotionsthatsomeonefeelswhileplaying.Additionalcommentsincludingbeingabletomanipulateothersduringgameplay,knowingwhentoaskforhelp,andplayingagamethatappealstoone’sinterests.Themajorityofstudentcommentsregardingthefrontallobeencompassedavarietyofrelatedissues,suchaswiththecomment

I need to decide what formation I’m going to play with and reason why. I’m starting the players that I am and not give the guy behind them a shot. I need to reason why I don’t strangle my brother when he scores a goal on me and abrupt [sic] into excitement, instead go down the field and score my own goal. I would never be able to talk shit and get in the head of my opponent in order to give me the upper hand. Thanks to the frontal lobe I am capable of doing all of this and use it to my advantage.

Fourteencommentsweremadeabouttheuseoftheoccipitallobeduringgameplay,withninestudentsmakingobservations.Eightofthecommentswereaboutnoticinggameplayandtheactionofothersinordertosucceedorwinthegame.Onestudentsimplystated,“Occipitallobeisaboutvisionandyouhavetowatchforwhenyourunoutoftime.”Fourothercommentswereabouttheuseoftheoccipitallobetoidentifycolorsandpatternsof friendsandenemies,andanother twocommentswereaboutbeingabletoreadwrittencommunicationduringagame.Onegameinparticularonly


60

usedtexttocommunicate,andastudentnoted,”Playersneedthisability[toread]tobeabletoreceiveandgiveoutmessagestootherfellowpenguinsinthegame.

All students also provided a total of 12 comments, including an incorrectconnection, on the use of their temporal lobes. Five comments focused on theimportanceofaworkingtemporallobewhencommunicatingduringteamplay,andanotherfourcommentsfocusedonlisteningforandhearingsoundsthatcanindicatedangerorsuccessfortheirgameplay.Onecommentnotedthatsoundsassociatedwithcertaingamingactivitiesarefuntohear,andanothermentioned“Theupbeatmusicinthebackalsohasgreatdramatichighsandlowsaswelltokeepthehypegoingwiththebattleyoure[sic]inorthemoodofthecurrentsetting.”

Involvement with the limbic system was mentioned eleven times, with fivecommentsfocusingonitskeynatureinmemory.Studentsdescribedhowtheyneededtorememberpreviousgameactionsthatweresuccessful,bothduringcurrentgameplayandearlierexperiences.Twocommentsaddressedthebasicemotionsrelatedtogameplay,suchasgettingangryoveraloss,andanothertwowereabouttheinstincttosurviveevenwhenplayingagame.Anothercommentrelatedtoinstinctwasthedesiretogetrevengewhenthwartedbyanother.Onestudentnotedtheroleofthoughtorganizationwith“…allowsyoutothinkthoroughlyaboutthenextquestionyouwanttoasksoyoudon’trepeatanything.”

Eachstudentmentionedtheuseofthemidbrain,butasnotedearlierthreewereincorrectobservations.Theremainingcomments,however,describedtheimportanceofbeingabletogetmessagesfromtheirbodiestothebrainforinterpretationandthereturnofactionimpulsesfromthebraintothebody.Theycommentedonhowtheycanusewhattheyseeandheartoguidetheactionsoftheirhandsduringgameplaybecauseinformationgoesbackandforthbetweenthebodyandbrain.

Eightstudentseachhadanexampleoftheuseoftheparietallobeduringgameplay, but two were incorrect observations of visual activity. All of the commentsfocusedmanipulationoftheirbody,mainlytheirhands.Asonestudentsaid,”Your[sic]showingthenoobswhosebossandallthattimeyoudon’tevenrealizehowmanytimesyou’vepressedabunchofdifferentbuttonsonyourremotecontroller.”

Onestudentcommentedontheimportanceofthemedullaoblongataduringgameplaywith“Itisresponsibleformaintainingvitalbodyfunctions,suchasbreathingandheartrate,wellifIdidn’thavethis,I’dbedead.”

3.2. Final Project Responses for Sensation and PerceptionAllof thestudentsdescribedhowsensationsandperceptions related togameplaywith26examples,twoofwhichwereunfocused.Aswiththeirresponsestothebrainandsubsequentquestions,studentsoftenpointedtomorethanoneconceptortheoryintheiranswer.Oftheunfocusedcomments,onestudentmadeagenericstatementthat sensation and perception are needed for any activity, and another pointed outlimitationswith“Itappealstoallsensesexcepttastebecause,well,thesnozzberriesdon’ttastelikesnozzberries.”


61

Studentscitedtheimportanceofattention,perceptualset,signaldetectiontheory,motionperception,depthperception,andsensoryadaptationwhenplayingtheirgames.Twostudentssaidthatbeingabletoseein3Dmadeiteasiertoplaytheirgames.Onestudentnotedthatbeingabletoseea“badguy”movingallowedfordefensiveaction,andanotherpointedoutthatthebackgroundmusicinthegamebecamelessannoyingoncesensoryadaptationallowedthemtoignorethenoise.

Ofthe24examplesprovided,eightweregiveneachforboththeimportanceofattentionandperceptualset.Studentsnotedtheimportanceoffocusingactioninthegametowinorsucceedaswellasbeingabletofocusnarrowlyonrelevantinformation,suchas identifyingfriendorenemywithin thegame.Studentsalsocommentedontheimportanceofaperceptualsetsotheycouldknowwhattheyneededtododuringcurrentgameactivities,whattopreparefornext,andtopredictwhatotherplayersactions might be in order to ready themselves. As one student commented on hisselectionprocessforhisteamwhenplayingwithabrother“Ialwaysknewwhattoexpect.”Anotherstudentnotedthatunexpectedeventsbestshowwhenaperceptualsetisinusesinceit“couldbedisruptedduringthisgamewhenaplayerthinksthey’reintheclearfordestroyingatowerandthentheygetganked.”

Studentsprovidedfourexamplesofsignaldetectiontheorywhenplayingagame.Threenotedhowbeingabletoidentifyvariousaspectsofthegame,suchasdifferencesinjerseycolororthemovementoftreesandplantsinthevirtualenvironment,helpedthembesuccessfulinthegame.Theywereabletodeterminewhatisahelporadanger,andplayaccordingly.Onestudentnotedamoregeneraluseofsignaldetectionwhenplayingwith“WhenIamplayingthegameIamfullyamerced[sic] intothegameplay.Ifmymomshoutsdownstairstomethatits[sic]dinnertime,Iusuallydon’thearher,shehastotextmeandtellme.”

3.3. Final Project Responses for Human developmentFocusingondevelopmentalissues,sixstudentsaddressedfactorsinPiaget’s,Freud’s,andErikson’stheories.Twostudentssaidthatdevelopmentalconcernsarenotrelevantto their games, which was incorrect. Two other students made vague statementsregardingtheappropriateagesofplayers.Asonestudentnoted:

COD is for everyone for about ages ten and up. I think anything younger than that won’t understand the concept. I play it, I know teenagers who play it, and I also know adults who play it. I don’t believe this game is developmentally appropriate for children.

ForPiaget’stheory,twostudentsnotedthatapersoninconcreteoperationswoulddowellinthegamebecausetheyhavemasteredlogic,andtwootherstudentsfocusedonformaloperationsandaperson’sabilitytothinkabstractlyandmanipulateinformationintheirheads.Anotherstudent,alongwithonewhofocusedonconcreteoperations,alsonotedtheimportanceofPiaget’sadaptationduringgameplay.Thestudentnoted“Piagettalksaboutadaptation,whichcanbeusedwhenyouneedtosolveanissueinthegamelikewhenyourhousegetsdestroyedorwhenyouneedtocraftaweapon.”


62

OnestudentcommentedthatFreud’spsychosexualtheoryhasnorelationtoplayingagamewhiletwoothersfocusedonthematuretitleoftheirgame.Theircomments,however,werenotrelatedtoFreud’smaturegenitalstage,buttheageoftheplayer,suchaswiththecomment,”Mismaturewhichis17andup.AndaccordingtoFreuditmatcheswellbecauseweareathislastphaseattheage,youarealldevelopedandmature.YouareintheMatureGenitalstage.”

AswithFreud’stheory,onestudentcommentedthatErikson’spsychosocialtheorydoes not apply to game play either. Two other students commented on Erikson’sidentity-vs-identitydiffusionstage,withonenotingthatitwouldbehelpfultoplaya game when determining personal preferences and another noting that having anestablishedidentitywillmakeiteasiertomanagetheintensityandchallengeswhenplaying.

3.4. Final Project Responses LearningObservational learning, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning were allmentionedasbeing involved ingameplay.Of the30descriptions, threeexampleslistedasclassicalconditioningbythestudentswereincorrect.Onestudentmentionedthatclassicalconditioningcameintoplaywhenlearningfromwatchingothers,andtheothertwomentionedrewardsthatcomefromplayingthegame.Regardingoperantconditioning,onestudentconfusinglywrote“Operantconditioningisasimplegameandusedtoshowhowtodothebasicsofoperantconditioning,butmoresoaboutthedifficultiesinapplyingitwell.”

Eightstudentsstatedobservationallearningwasimportantbecausetheylearnedfromothers.Theirdescriptionsweresplitbetweencopyingotherplayers’behaviorsinordertodeterminewhatdoesanddoesn’tworkanddevisingastrategytobestotherplayersbasedontheirin-gameactions.Ofthefivestudentswhocorrectlydescribedclassical conditioning in their games, three described how they condition otherplayerstoreactacertainwaybasedontheircharactersactions.Oftheremainingthreeexamples, studentsmentionedhow theyhadbeenconditioned to react toacertainsoundorvisualcueinthegame.Onestudentincludedwithalongwithadescriptionof associating a red-hazed screen with imminent death this comment “Classicalconditioning is thestrangest thingwe learnedallsemester inmyopinion. It reallyblewmymindandnowlookingtoseehowIamclassicallyconditionedthroughthisgameisscary.”

Studentsoffered twelveexamplesofoperant conditioning ingameplay,whichincludes the confusing statement mentioned earlier. Seven of the eleven on-targetdescriptions focused on reinforcement, with all but one positive reinforcement.Studentsdescribedhowcertainactionsthatgotthemrewards,suchaslongerhidingtimes or better skill levels, were repeated over and over during game play. Onestudent highlighted negative reinforcement by describing how to escape from theunpleasantnessofcertainlossbytakingariskychancetoscoreagoalandwin.Positiveandnegativepunishmentswerealsomentioned, three timesandonce respectively.Negativepunishmentduringagamecamewhentheplayerhadtowaitandmissouton


63

gameactivityafterbeingkilled.Positivepunishmentexamplesfocusedonundesiredconsequences toactions that leadto thestudents learningtonotrepeatabehavior.Asonestudentdescribed:

Another one is it’s your fist time playing Black Ops and one of your teammates recommend holding a grenade for 10 seconds because it’s a hack that will level you up by 50 levels. After 5 seconds you explode and die. Next time you know better than to hold the grenade for more than 5 seconds.

3.5. Final Project Responses MotivationAll10studentsgave15examplesoftheconnectionbetweenamotivationtheoryandgameplay.Theevolutionaryandoptimumdrivetheorieswerethetwogeneraltheoriesmentioned,andself-determination,self-regulation,Maslow’shierarchyofneeds,andintrinsicandextrinsicmotivationweretheindividualizedtheoriesselected.Onestudentwhomentionedevolutionarytheorypointedtotheinstincttocompetetowin“overameaslyvideogame.”Optimumdrivetheorywasmentionedbythreestudentsasbeingrelatedbecausetheyexperienceamoderatelevelofarousalwhenplaying.Onestudentprefersthegameusedforthefinalprojectbecause“Itriedmultiplegames…butIfeltlikenothinggavemethearousalthatthisgamedid.Ienjoyedeverybitofthisgame.”

OnestudentfocusedonMaslow’stheory,pointingoutthefeelingsofesteemthatincreasewhensuccessfulandthechallengestoplayingwhenloveandbelongingnessisthreatenedbyafamilymember’sbadsportsmanship.Threeotherstudentsfocusedonvariousaspectsofself-determination.Onestudentdiscussedautonomyandhowplayingasacharacterinagamemeansbeingabletodesignandcontrolyourcharacter’slife.Theother twomentioned feelingsof accomplishment associatedwithplayingtheirgames.Asonestudentnoted“WhenIcompleteamissionorultimatelybeatthegamethefeelingofaccomplishmentisgreat.”

Two students mentioned self-regulation with the importance of feedback fromothersinordertoadjustgameplayandachievegoalsduringagame.Fourstudentsprovidedexamplesforintrinsicandextrinsicmotivation.Onestudentbrieflydescribedhowsomeonewillplayagametoachievetherewardswithinit.Threestudentssaidthattheyplayedtheirgamesbecausetheyfoundthemtobepersonallysatisfying,bothduringcooperativeandsologames.

3.6. Final Project Responses IntelligenceWhen asked to identify how their game connects to intelligence, all ten studentsfocused solely on Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Nine of Gardner’sintelligenceswereused,whichincludedintrapersonal,interpersonal,visual-spatial,existential,musical,body-kinesthetic,verbal,mathematical,andnaturalist.Allstudentscommenteddirectlyor indirectlymentioned the importanceofbeingable to solveproblemsinordertobesuccessfulintheirgame.

Ofthe34intelligenceexamples,25ofthecommentsdiscussedhowtheintelligencewas used in the game. Seven intelligences were identified as not needed, and two


64

typesof intelligencewereused incorrectly.Oneof theerrorsconfusednaturalisticandspatialintelligences,focusingonbeingabletointerpretwhatisseeninagame.Theseconderrorisatypicalconfusionofintrapersonalintelligenceandmentionedbeingabouttointeracteffectivelywithothersinsteadofinternalawareness.

Themajorityof comments about aneeded intelligencewaswithvisual-spatialawarenesswiththirteencommentsfromninestudents.Theyrecognizedtheimportanceofbeingabletoseewhatishappeningaroundtheminthegameaswellasusingdepthandmotionperceptiontowin.Onestudentcommented“Alsovisualiscrucialbecausethegame ischangingeverysecondsoyouneed toadapt.”Anotherstudent furtherdescribed,”Itwouldbeeasierforsomebodylikethattobeabletocontroltheplayinprocessionoftheballandknowwheretherestoftheteamisanddefenderstoo.”

Commentsforinterpersonal,mathematical,andverbalintelligencesallfocusedonhowhaving the skills canhelp someone succeed in agame.Two intelligences,specifically body-kinesthetic and musical, were mentioned as being needed forsomeandunnecessarybyothers.Forbody-kinesthetic,twostudentscommentedonthe importance of knowing how to manipulate a controller while another studentsaid the intelligence isuselesswhenplayinganappgame.Similarly,withmusicalintelligence,onestudentrepeatedlymentionedtheimportanceofbeingabletohearand recognize sounds inorder toavoiddangerandbe safe.Another student said,”Musicalintelligenceisoneoftheintelligencesthatisnotneededtoplaythisgame.It’ssports,notGuitarHero!”

Gardner’s naturalistic and existential intelligences were mentioned as uselessingameplaythreeandtwotimesrespectfully.Understandingthenaturalworldwasdismissedasneededtoplayagame,andunderstandingone’sroleorthepurposeofgameplayintheuniversewasalsoviewedasirrelevanttosuccess.

3.7. Final Project Responses PersonalityIn their finalprojects, thestudentsprovidedeighteenexamplesofhowpersonalitytheoryappliedtotheirgames.ThetheoriescoveredincludedFreud’stheoryofmindandadefensemechanism,Horney’stheory,reciprocaldeterminism,Maslow’sself-actualization,andthefive-factortraitmodelofpersonality.AlloftheexamplesrelatedtoMaslow’sstagewereoff-target.StudentslinkedMaslow’shigheststagewiththeneedtohavefunortoappearacertainwaytoothersalongwithfindingagamethatappealstosomeoneonapersonallevel.

Three of the four examples for openness in the five-factor model were usedincorrectly.Studentsdescribedfriendlinessandcooperationasrelatedtoopenness;onestudentdidmentiontheimportanceofbeingacreativeandflexiblethinkerwhenplayingagame.Theremaining twoexamplesfor thefive-factormodelwereaboutextroversion,andwerecorrectlyidentifiedassuch.Bothpointedtobeingsocialandgregariouscanhelpgameplaybecauseothershelpedthemback.Twostudentsprovidedthreeexamplesof reciprocaldeterminism ingaming.Bothstudentsdescribedhowtheirpersonalinterestsandattitudesinfluencedtheirgamechoice,suchaspreviouslyplayingasportinreal-life.Onestudentalsoconnectedin-gameopportunitiesdriving


65

behaviorandappealingtopersonaldesireswith“Ifthere’satournamentgoingonandbraggingrightsareatstake,myenvironmentisinfluencingmetowanttoplaythisgamemoresoIcanproveI’mthebestplayer.”

ForHorney’stheory,onestudentsaidthatthepeopleoneregularlyplayswithinagamebecomefamilythatcanfostersafetyandsecuritywithinaperson.AnotherstudentalsomentionedFreud’sregressionduringgameplaybecause“IamactinglikeIwasayoungkidplayingasillygame.”WithFreud’stheoryofmind,onestudentprovidedtwoexamplesoftheidandanotheroftheego.Asdescribed,theegoallowsforbalancebetweenplayingthegameandmeetingotherliferesponsibilities.Theidexampleswereabouttheimmediategoodfeelingsthatcomefrommeetinggoals.Thestudentmentioned“Theideaofthegameistowin,toeatsomeoneelse.Ifyouhaveaveryidpersonality,youprobablyenjoybeatingotherpeopleandwinning.”

3.8. Final Project Responses Psychological disordersOne student did not provide any examples regarding the usefulness of playing agame for someone with a psychological disorder. The other nine, however, madesuggestionsforwhocouldbehelpedthroughgameplay.Ofthe27examples,twowererecommendationstoavoidplay.Forafirst-personshootergame,onestudentsuggestedthat anyone with PTSD due to an experience with violence, specifically shooting,shouldnotplaythegame.Anotherrecommendedavoidingasportsgamewithamooddisordergiventhatthefrustrationfromgameplaycouldcauseanaggressivereaction.

Of the remaining examples, students pointed to the usefulness of games forindividualswithanxietydisorders,mooddisorders,autism,aneurocognitivedisorder,atraumaticbraininjury(TBI),andahistrionicpersonalitydisorder.Thesuggestionsfor people with a neurocognitive disorder and TBI were focused on repetition ofinformation to foster memory. The student who mentioned narcissistic personalitydisorderfocusedonhowbeingthecenterofattentionwhenplayingwithotherscouldfeedintotheprobleminsteadofhelpingapersoncope.

Tenofthesuggestedhelpfulusesofgameplaywereforindividualswithmooddisorders.Forbothmajordepressiveandbipolardisorders, students recommendedplayingagamesomeonecouldfeelsuccessfulandaccomplished.Somereportedmoregeneraladvice,suchas:

[It] help them by taking their anger out on the game and not having to keep it in. It may also make them feel better about themselves when they do good in the game or maybe just playing the game in general can make them feel better.

Othersmademorepersonalobservations regardinggameplayandcopingwithmood concerns with “I’ve never experienced depression but anything I’ve beenfeelinglowspiritedIjusttrytostaybusybecauseitalwaysseemstodothetrick”or“Sometimesthat’swhatIdotogetaway.”

Fivestudentspointedtoadvantagesingameplayforindividualswithanautismdiagnosis,andgeneratednineexamples.Allfivementionedthegameasprovidingan


66

opportunitytointeractwithothersandlearnsocialskills.Studentsalsopointedoutthepotentialbenefitsofpracticingfinemotorskills,feelingsuccessfulinanactivity,refiningfocusandattention,andteaching“tocooperatewithothersbymaybebuildingorfindingsomethingthegroupneeds,likefood.”

Twostudentsmentionedtheusefulnessofgameplayforanxietydisorders.Onecommentedthatplayingagamecanberelaxingand,therefore,reduceanxiety.Theotherfocusedspecificallyonsocialanxietydisorderandtheadvantageofbeingabletopracticeinteractionsinanenvironmentwhereotherpeoplearedistantstrangers.

4. dISCUSSIoN

When asked to apply psychological principles while playing a game, students ina general psychology class considered factors related to the brain, sensation andperception,humandevelopment,learning,motivation,intelligence,personality,andpsychologicaldisorders.Whilesometopicswerebetterunderstoodthanothers,allstudentsattemptedtoapplyvarioustheoriestotheirgames.Thetwotopicsbestappliedbystudentswerethoserelatedtothebrainandmotivation.Theresultsindicatethatplaycanbeaneffectivelearningtoolinapplyinggeneralpsychologyconceptsandtheories.

Studentsclearlyreportedthemostconnectionswithbrainactivityduringgameplay.Theywereabletolinksensoryexperienceswiththebrainlobesalongwithotherlobe-relatedskills.Motivationwasanotherareawherestudentsdidwellsincealloftheirexampleswereon-topic.Theonlydrawbacktothemotivationexamplesisthesmallernumberofexamplescomparedtoothertopics,includingthebrain.

Sensation and perception concepts were also identified by students correctly,especially attention, perceptual set, and signal detection. Other sensation andperceptiontopics,suchasmotionanddepthperceptionalongwithadaptationandthesensorythresholds,werenotrecognizedasoftenifatall.StudentswerealsoabletoconnectvarioustypesofintelligenceasdefinedbyGardnertogameplay.Whileitisusefulthatstudentswereabletoidentifydifferenttypesofintelligencesashelpingorineffective,othertheoriesandissuesrelatedtointelligencewereignored.

Issuesrelatedtohumandevelopmentandlearningingameplaywereappliedwithmixedresults.Forhumandevelopment,studentswereabletocorrectlyapplyPiaget’stheorytoplay,butoftenmadeerrorswithFreud’sandErikson’stheories.Onestudentcommentingthathumandevelopmentdoesnotapplytoplayisilluminating.Operantconditioningconcepts in learningwerecorrectly identifiedby students alongwithobservationallearning.However,examplesusingclassicalconditioningcontainedalotoferrorsusuallyfoundwithstudentsunderstandingofthetheory.

Ofallofthetopics,studentsmadethefewestconnectionsbetweengameplayandpersonalityandpsychologicaldisorders.Perhapsduetothetopicbeingcoveredattheendofthesemester,students’examplesindicatedthatsomedidnotunderstandtherelationshipbetweentheconceptsandgameplay.Whilestudentsdidprovidesomedecentexamplesforpersonality,moststudentsonlyfocusedononeapproach,whichis


67

unusualcomparedtomultipleexamplesforothertopics.Additionally,somestudentsusedthewrongdefinitionsintheirapplication.Forpsychologicaldisorders,thoughmanydifferentproblemswerediscussed,mostoftheresponsesweresuperficial.Itseemedthatstudentstriedtomaketheconnectionbetweendisorderandgameplaybutthatitprovedtoobigofaleapinthinking.

4.1. Recommendations for PracticeEvenwiththemixedresults,studentsseemtoenjoytheassignmenttoplayagamewhilelearningfromit.Ifstudentsenjoytheirassignments,theyareengagedinclassandlearningcanhappen.Asonestudentcommentedattheendofthefinalproject:

This final was different then [sic] any other that I have taken, but I really enjoyed it. I also really enjoyed this class. At first when I learned that I had to take psychology for my degree I wasn’t thrilled, but Dr Zielinski made the class very easy and make me like psychology.

Ifgameplayisadoptedintoacoursetoillustrateconcepts,certainpsychologytopicsneedtobeclarifiedforstudents.Thelimitedapplicationofpersonalitytheoryandpsychologicaldisorderstogameplayindicatethatmorediscussionregardingtherelationshipofplaywithpatternsofbehaviorandabnormalbehavior.Additionally,remindersaboutage-appropriategameactivitiesmighthelpincreasetheassociationofplaytohumandevelopmentconcepts.Usingthefindingsofpreviousstudents’finals,providingspecificexamplesofhowaconceptrelatestogameplayaregivenduringtheregularclasslessonaswellasduringabriefreviewaftereachtest.

Findingawaytoplayinthecollegeclassroomissomethingstudentslikeanditappearsthatitcanhelpthemapplypsychologicalconceptsandtheoriestoaneverydayactivity.

4.2. Recommendations for Further ResearchFutureresearchcouldexploretheuseofgameplayinunderstandingpsychologicalprinciplesbyhavingstudentsallplay the samegame.Agame labcouldbe setupto accompany general psychology classes similar to computer labs for computerscienceandEnglishwritingwherestudentslogintoandplayagame.Whilethecostscouldbehighforpaidgames,severalfreeoptionsexisttodownloadorplayonline.Additionally, students could be assigned to groups for cooperative or competitiveplay,whichcouldfurtherenhancetheirunderstandingbyprovidingopportunitiestocollaboratewithteammates.

Specificpsychologycoursescouldalsoemploygamesaspartoftheircurriculum.The game, Her Story, could be used in a forensic psychology class. The game isa seriesof seven interviewsofawomanwhowasawitness toacrimealongwithsupportingdocuments.Studentscanreviewwhat theysee,hear,andreadfromthepointofviewofawitness,policeofficer,attorney,andotherlegalparticipantsasanapplicationof forensicpsychologyprinciples.Cognitivepsychologycoursescould


68

useproblem-solvinggamestoillustratevariousconcepts.Theclassicgame,BeyondZork:TheCoconutofQuendor,requiresgameplayerstomakedecisionsthatcanleadtobeneficialoutcomesordeath.Moreover,manyclassicgamesareavailableforfreedownloads.ThegameofSmite,whichpitsgroupsofgodsagainsteachother,couldbeusedinasocialpsychologyclass.Studentscouldworkingroupsorteamsagainstotherclassteamsasanexampleoftheinfluencesofagrouponaperson’sactions.Withthevarietyofgamesthatexist,onecouldbefoundformanyfieldsofstudyinpsychology.


69

ReFeReNCeS

Beaumont, C., Savin-Baden, M., Conradi, E., & Poulton, T. (2014). Evaluating aSecondLifeproblem-basedlearning(PBL)demonstratorproject:Whatcanwelearn?Interactive Learning Environments,22(1), 135–141. doi:10.1080/10494820.2011.641681

Dib, H., & Adamo-Villani, N. (2014). Serious sustainability challenge game topromote teachingand learningofbuilding sustainability.Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering,28(5),1–11.doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0000357

Fleischmann,K.,&Ariel,E.(2016).Gamificationinscienceeducation:Gamifyinglearning of microscopic processes in the laboratory. Contemporary Educational Technology,7,138–159.

Franciosi,S.J.,&Mehring,J.(2015).Whatdostudentslearnbyplayinganonlinesimulationgame?InF.Helm,L.Bradley,M.Guarda,&S.Thouesny(Eds),Critical CALL – Proceedings of the 2015 EUROCALL Conference,Padova,Italy(pp.170-176).Dublin:Research-Publishing.net.doi:10.14705/rpnet.2015.000328

Hou, H. T. (2015). Integrating cluster and sequential analysis to explore learners’flowandbehavioralpatternsinasimulationgamewithsituated-learningcontextforsciencecourses:Avideo-basedprocessexploration.Computers in Human Behavior,48,424–435.doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.010

Lujan,H.L.,&DiCarlo,S.E.(2016).Shockandawepedagogy!Advances in Physiology Education,40(4),467–468.doi:10.1152/advan.00085.2016PMID:27697963

Misfeldt, M. (2015). Scenario based education as a framework for understandingstudents engagement and learning in a project management simulation game. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 13,181-191.

Pivec, P., & Pivec, M. (2011). Digital games: Changing education, one raid at atime. International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 1(1), 1–18. doi:10.4018/ijgbl.2011010101

Soflano,M.,Connolly,T.M.,&Hainey,T.(2015).LearningstyleanalysisinadaptiveGBLapplicationtoteachSQL.Computers & Education,86,105–119.doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2015.02.009

Spandler,C. (2016).MineralSupertrumps:Anewcardgame to assist learningofmineralogy.Journal of Geoscience Education,64(2),108–114.doi:10.5408/15-095.1

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2011.641681

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2011.641681

http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CP.1943-5487.0000357

http://dx.doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2015.000328

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.010

http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/advan.00085.2016

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27697963

http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijgbl.2011010101

http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijgbl.2011010101

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.02.009

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.02.009

http://dx.doi.org/10.5408/15-095.1


70

APPeNdIX: GeNeRAL PSyCHoLoGy FINAL PRoJeCT ASSIGNMeNT INSTRUCTIoNS

The final project for this semester is to apply various principles of psychology togameplay,specificallymulti-playeronlinegamesorboardgames.Yourassignmentistodelveunderthe“onlyforfun”surfacetofindoutwhatishappeningfromthepsychologicalperspective.Thisisasemesterlongproject,sostartthinkingaboutwhatgameyouwanttoplay.Pleaseplanonspendingatleast30-60minutesaweekingameplay.Ifyouwaituntilafterthemid-termpointtostartplayingandthinkingaboutthegame,itwilladverselyimpactyourfinalprojectand,ultimately,yourfinalgrade.Onlycertainvideogamesapplytothisfinalproject.Thevideogamehastoallowforonlineplay,whetheritbethroughacomputerorgamingconsole(xBox,PS4,etc).Asyoucanseefromtheexamplesbelow,eachgamehasto:

1. Requireyou,theplayer,tointeractwiththevirtualworld,whetheritbeonlineorinaboardgame.Youmustbeanactiveparticipantinthegameworldbymoving,pickingupthings,cooperative/competitivegameswithothersplayersandNPCs,etc.

2. Allowforcommunicationbetweenplayers,whethertheyarerecognized“friends”ornot.Chatwindowsandcrowd-speakofferthiscommunicationopportunityinvideogames/

Games thatdonothaveavirtualworldbutallow interaction, suchasWordsWithFriendsorHearthstone,donotqualify.Ifyoualreadyplayoneof thesegames,keepplaying it. Ifanyone iswilling tobean“expert”friendforyourclassmatesandallowmetoputyourinformationupinaBlackboardannouncement,pleaseletmeknowviaemail.Ifyoucanthinkofanothervideogamethatyouwouldliketoplaythatisnotlistedbutyoubelievequalifies,pleaseaskmebeforeSeptember30.Thisisasemesterlongproject,andrequiresenoughtimeforyoutoplayandconsiderhowthepsychologicalprinciplesrelatetowhatyouaredoing.Mostboardgamesalreadyrequireinteractingwiththevirtualworld(theboard)andotherplayers.Ifyouhavequestionsaboutwhetheraboardgamequalifies,pleaseask.Onceyouhavefoundyourgame,startplaying.Takenotesasyougoalongbasedonthequestionslistedbelow.

The Final Project Questions1. What Did You Choose?Whatisthegame’sname?Describeandsummarizethemulti-playeronlinegameyouchosetouseforyourfinalproject.Somequestions/concernsyoucouldaddressinclude:


71

• Whatistheback-story?• Whatisyourin-gamegoal(s)whenplaying?• Describeyourcharacterandwhathe/she/itdoesduringgameplay?

2. Brain InvolvementThinkabouthowyourbrainwasengagedingameplay.Howwaseachpartinvolved?Describewhateachpartcontributedtoyourgameplay,including:

• midbrain• limbicsystem• occipitallobe• temporallobe• frontallobe• parietallobe

3. Sensation and PerceptionYouexperiencedandinterpretedmanythingswhileplayingyourgame.Whichconceptsfrom the sensation and perception outline were involved in your game play? Didperceptualsetsimpactanythingthatyoudid?Anyofthevisual-onlyconceptsrelatetoyourplay?Didyouexperienceanychangeswithyour sensationandperceptioncapabilities,suchasimproveddetectionrelatedtosignaldetectiontheory?

4. Human DevelopmentDon’t look at the game rating. What age group is your game targeting? Is itdevelopmentallyappropriate?UsePiaget’s,Freud’s,andErikson’stheoriestoexplainwhy you think your game is on target or missed the mark for a developmentallyappropriateexperience.

5. LearningYourgameusesbehavioralprincipals!Youhavelearnedthroughassociation,rewardsand punishment, and just watching. Describe the role that classical conditioning,operantconditioning,andobservationallearninghasingameplay.

6. MotivationSo,whywouldyouwanttoplaythisgame–beyondthewholefinalprojectassignmentrequirements for this class?OrwhywouldyouNOTwant toplay this game?Useoneof themotivation theoriesunder“Motivation in theEveryday” toexplainwhysomeonewouldandwouldnotwanttoplayyourgame.

7. IntelligenceFirst,defineintelligence.Youneedittosuccessfullyplayyourgame.Nowthatyou’vedefinedintelligence,considerGardner’stheoryofmultipleintelligences.Whichonesofhisintelligenceswouldmakesomeoneverygoodatyourgameandwhy?Which


72

onesofhisintelligenceswoulddefinitelynotbeneedorbeanactivebarriertobeinggoodatthisgameandwhy?

8. PersonalityThereisaninteractionbetweenyourpatternofbehaviorsandresponses(personality)andyourgame.Consideringallofthedifferentperspectivesforpersonality,whichonedoyouthinkwouldbestexplainwhysomeonewouldwanttoplayamulti-playeronlinegame?

9. Psychological DisordersManygameshavebeendeliberatelycreatedtohelppeoplewithdisorders.However,manygamescreatedforplayhavealsohelpedpeoplewithdisorders.Describehowdoyouthinkyourgamemighthelpsomeonewithapsychologicaldisorder.Eventhoughwedidnotcoveralloftheseinclass,somedisorderstoconsiderforyourgameinclude:

• autism(spectrumincludingAsperger’s)• depression• bipolar• anxietydisorders(phobias,OCD,GAD,PTSD,etc)• dementiaand/orAlzhiemer’sand/ormemorydisorders• traumaticbraininjuries(rehabilitativetherapy?)

Dianne Zielinski received her EdD in Educational Leadership in Higher Education from Argosy University in 2015, and her MS in Educational Psychology and Statistics in 1996. She has taught students from pre-K through master’s level, teaching psychology, educational psychology, and human services courses in college for past several years. She currently teaches for a 2-year community college, a 4-year private college, and a medical college through face-to-face, distance learning, and online courses. She continues to explore how games can help college students learn, and is currently investigating the potential learning relationship between games and humor, music, and superheroes.

Can Playing Games Help Students Master Concepts …student: Clash of Clans, Club Penguin, FIFA,...

Documents

Transcript of Can Playing Games Help Students Master Concepts …student: Clash of Clans, Club Penguin, FIFA,...