Technology essay

Today, video games have a considerable potential for the development of educational programs to enhance the learning process and to provide educators with efficient tools to conduct the learning of students. In this respect, it is worth mentioning the fact that many educators were often very skeptical in relation to video games because they believed video games would have a negative impact on students’ performance because they distract students from learning. However, video games turn out to have a considerable potential for learning. For instance, video games can be applied for learning successfully, when video games are used to develop students’ problem solving skills. In terms of the tool assessment, students were taught problem solving with the help of video games developed specifically for this task. The performance of each student was assessed respectively to the results each student obtained after the end of the video game. The results of all students were compared and summed up. As a result, the assessment tool was used to obtain the general information on the effectiveness of using video games in teaching the fifth grade students to solve problems.

The following tool may be used for the assessment of the effectiveness of using video games in teaching students:

Activity
Definition
Score

Play
Capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form of problem-solving
Performance
Ability to adopt alternative identities for improvisation and discovery
Simulation
Ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real-world processes
Appropriation
Ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content
Multitasking
Ability to scan one’s environment and shift focus as needed to salient details
Distributed cognition
Ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities
Collective intelligence
Ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal
Judgment
Ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources
Transmedia navigation
Ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities
Networking
Ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate information
Negotiation
Ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms

Source: Leonard, A.A. (2008). “Video Games in Education: Why They Should Be Used and How They Are Being Used,” Theory into Practice, 47, 234.
The application of video games and the following assessment of the effectiveness of video games in the fifth grade classroom revealed the following results:
Activity
Definition
Score (A-E)

Play
Capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form of problem-solving
A

Performance
Ability to adopt alternative identities for improvisation and discovery
B

Simulation
Ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real-world processes
C

Appropriation
Ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content
A

Multitasking
Ability to scan one’s environment and shift focus as needed to salient details
C

Distributed cognition
Ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities
A

Collective intelligence
Ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal
C

Judgment
Ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources
B

Transmedia navigation
Ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities
A

Networking
Ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate information
C

Negotiation
Ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms
B
The application of video games in the fifth grade classroom has revealed a considerable success of students in performing problem solving tasks. At the same time, the assessment of video games as a learning tool has revealed positive effects of video games on the learning process. At any rate, among eleven criteria used for the assessment of the effectiveness of video games as learning tools, four gained top scores – A, while the lowest grade was C, although it occurred four times too. As for the rest of criteria, the three remaining criteria obtained B scores. In such a way, about two thirds of criteria of the assessment of the effectiveness of video games as learning tools have proved to be positive, while the rest may be viewed as negative only relatively since C is the average but not the worst grade.
In addition, students enjoyed the activity and were extremely interested in using video games in the classroom. Therefore, the positive impact of video games on the motivation of students to learn was obvious. Increasing interest of students to learning is also important in regard to the further implementation of video games in the learning process in the fifth grade classroom. The interest of students and their high motivation contributed to the better acquisition and perception of the learning material.

Thus, the implementation of video games in the fifth grade classroom to teach students to solve problems has proved to be successful. The assessment of the video games as a learning tool has revealed their high efficiency in learning terms. At the same time, the implementation of video games as a learning tool should be grounded on the use of the software, i.e. video games adapted to needs, age, skills and cognitive level of development of students.