EDUCATIONL VIDEO GAMES PROPOSAL:

PRESS START!
Kaylor DeHaas

Educational Video Game Proposal: Press Start!

The educational system is becoming more and more creative. More different types of
technology are being used by many students in different age groups in class. With this in mind it
makes one wonder what the future of educational technology could become, and how it will
work. What my proposal is for that is that we need to experiment more in new fields of study
that are not only more engaging then traditional research methods, but that will also utilize the
technology that we have to improve the over quality of our learning experience. What I am
purposing is that we take education and make it fun by combining it with video games in the
classroom. The idea behind this is called Gamification. In addition to talking about what
Gamification is and its benefits, the topic of having educational video games in school
curriculum will also be covered. I wish to purpose an alternative way for students of any age
group to be able to learn other than the traditional learning method.
Gamification is the idea of incorporating educational video games into our regular educational
system. Gamification does not stop there however as it also incorporates video game principles
into the educational system. When it comes to gamification it is important to note that it is not
one or the other, rather the two combined together. What does it mean to have game elements in
a classroom? A study done by Tara L. Kingsley and Melissa M. Grabner-Hagen which was done
in the article entitled Gamification Questing to Intergrade Content Knowledge, Literacy, and
21st Century Learning shows a perfect example of what gamification is like when applied in a
classroom setting. Tara and Melissa study a teacher who they refer to in the article as just Mr.
Wallan (not the real name) and how it was used in his classroom. According to them, He
gamified his classroom through3D Game Lab, a quest- based learning platform where students
earn XPs, badges, and awards competing against themselves to progress through hierarchical

tasks (Tara L. Kingsley and Melissa M. Grabner-Hagen Pg. 4). The game is the 3d Gamemaker;
however the concepts of video games are also applied into real life class room experience.
Notice how things such as XP (experience points), badges, and rewards are also mentioned as a
key part of gamification. The concepts of leveling up and gaining rewards is common in almost
every video game, it helps players want to continue and become better at the game. The concept
is similar with what was used in Mr. Wallans classroom, a student would level up whenever
they completed an assignment (Tara L. Kingsley and Melissa M. Grabner-Hagen), and the more
XP the students accrued the more assignments they could access which were more difficult. The
students also earn badges whenever they would master a concept. This is the basic idea of what
gamification is when in a classroom. Gamification is a unique way to learn, and the students
seem to enjoy it as well.
Continuing on with the Gamification article, the responses of some of the students have
been listed on their opinions on the lab. According to the results of the article they showed a
positive increase in the interest in learning and also an increase in work quality. The numbers
that are about to be shown are based on the students responses to the questions that were asked in
order to collect this data.
We surveyed the students in Mr. Wallens class. Students ( N = 47)
reported that they looked forward to days when they used iPads for 3D GameLab, with
95.8% marking agree or strongly agree. This demonstrates an overall enjoyment of this
teaching method. Students stated that using the technology made learning easier (87.2%),
and the quality of their work was better when learning through the gamification tool
(87.2%). Subject matter is easier to learn in 3D GameLab according to 82.9% of the
students, and 91.5% reported 3D GameLab as being better for learning than paper- and-

pencil tasks. Most students (93.6%) stated that they enjoyed earning gaming badges.
These findings have implications for instruction as well as motivation (Kingsley &
Grabener-Hagen Pg.8).
Putting in educational video games appeared to have a positive effect on the students, it
seems that they also enjoyed the class more and the homework was fun and challenging.
Apparently the games offered different ways to get the same result which the students
seemed to enjoy (Kingsley & Grabener-Hagen Pg. 58). Students seem interested in
learning with different methods of learning thats presented to them if given the
opportunity. Another article called Gamification in Education makes an interesting
statement; it talks about the teaching curriculum needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of
modern day students that use technology every day. The article suggests that instead of
always trying to conform to old methods of study and learning, that teaching needs to
move up into something, a good quote to illustrate this comes from Chapter 5 of this
article which talks about how video games can be used for good . the fact that it is
obvious that traditional teaching methods are no longer interesting (Ivana Medicamm
Ruiziz & Mario Dumancic Pg. 198). Video games can be used by students for
educational purpose if they choose to try it.
Educational video games can even help children overcome certain learning curves, for example
learning another language is very difficult, but educational video games in the classroom could
help. There is a study from the article Video Games Promote Saudi Childrens English a study
by Ohoud Abdullatif AlShaiji (2015), who did research from various sources about how video
games are effective for learning, especially in subjects such as foreign languages. There was a
study done with about sixty children (all female), between the age of five and six (Ohoud

Abdullatif AlShaiji, 2015, pg. 128), in which they had some of the children learn in the
traditional manner while others learned through an educational computer game. Each group was
learning English vocabulary and both groups were given a test at the end of the study. The
conclusion of the test showed that the children who used the educational video games did better
than the others. This could have been due to the environment being more controlled and
interesting.

Uzun has this to say about the environment of learning through video games,

Procedures of language learning have become more engaging by means of educational Video
Games which introduce fun to classrooms where students feel more satisfied and comfortable
(by Ohoud Abdullatif AlShaiji, 2015, pg. 130). The reason why this was cited was that it shows
that students (or children) feel comfortable in an educational video game learning environment
and this could be a better alternative than the typical classroom learning curriculum.
The benefits of educational video games can help overcome not just the learning curb of
language learning, but also assist in the teaching of people with special needs. Putting
educational video games can be an alternative for those who may suffer from mental disabilities
which could cause them trouble from learning in the normal way. . The article titled,
Enhancing Secondary Science Content Accessibility with Video Games by the following
authors: Matthew T. Marino, Kathleen M. Becht, Eleazar Vasquez, III, Jennifer L. Gallup, James
D. Basham, and Benjamin Gallegos, have a detailed way that video games can be used to help
teach students with learning disabilities. The article is almost like a blueprint, giving all of the
necessary information on how to run the program. Video games help the students with special
needs learn in a more comfortable environment, according to Gresalfi and Barab (2011) who
were quoted in the article saying, Playing leads to content learning because students make
decisions and solve problems while receiving continual feedback from the game, their teachers,

and their peers environment (Matthew T. Marino, Kathleen M. Becht, Eleazar Vasquez, III,
Jennifer L. Gallup, James D. Basham, and Benjamin Gallegos Pg. 28). The article continues to
talk about how teachers can be involved in the learning process, creating an environment where
the teacher is still in control of teaching the students. The article shows how educational video
games can be used to teach science to middle schoolers who have special needs, what games to
use and shows that a complicated subject like science can be taught in the form of games for
special needs students.
There are some people who do argue against gamification and educational video games. The
typical arguments are the fact that it uses video games. There have been so many negative
connotations on video games for many years, a lot of them around that they are a waste of time.
While this is true that there are a lot of video games that waste time and distract us from better
activities, that sadly holds no arguments in this proposal. The main point of these games is that
they are educational and are for learning purposes. Another factor is that the games would be a
part of the classroom curriculum and be used for the teaching process which would be monitored
by the teacher. Simply put it would be just another way to learn the same material that has been
taught for years, but in a more interesting fashion. However there are some teachers who express
this negative concern about using video games in the classroom, the main worry is more from a
time and support standpoint rather than an effectiveness standpoint. . Another study was done
with teachers to see how teachers felt about using digital gaming. The research was done by
Amanda S. Hovious and Richard n. Van Eck (2015) in the Article titled Digital Games for 21stCentury Learning. While there have been many examples of positive responses from teachers
in other articles, this one takes the time to explain some of the concerns that teachers may have
with the use of video games in the class room. The article lists three main concerns, .Lack of

time, lack of support [from the administrators, the school, and parents], and lack of infrastructure
(quoted from Ertzberger, Gros, Ketelhut ft Schifter, from the article by Amanda S. Hovious and
Richard n. Van Eck, 2015, Pg. 36 ). There were many concerns akin to these, worries about
finding time to do it and if it would work with the curriculum that they were teaching. There
were still teachers thought that saw the potential in the games, however these are the concerns
they expressed with trying to use digital game based learning in the classroom. My response to
this is that if the schools took the time to help their teachers learn the material, put it into the
main curriculum (and make sure that the educational video game or gamification learning meets
all of the standards needed for the proper education to be distributed), and if parents are notified
about it and have it explained to them as an option for their students to learn this way, then there
would be more support and most of the issues would be resolved. The main idea I would like to
put through in this article is that gamification learning or using educational video games should
be a choice, not required. For example, in most colleges they offer traditional courses where you
can go and learn in the classroom and they also offer classes which can be completed online.
The online classes offers a different options for those who perhaps want to learn at a different
pace or prefer learning outside of a classroom. The option is presented for those who prefer to
learn that way, likewise there should be an option for students to choose classes that offer the
educational video games with teachers who have been trained in how to teach with in that
manner.
Despite there being negative responses from some teachers about using educational video
games in classrooms, there have also been some very positive responses as well. In the article
titled 4 Innovative Ways to Teach with Video Games, it shows multiple middle school teachers
who have begun implementing video game based learning into their classrooms. One teacher,

Asante Johnson a middle school teacher at Wheatley Education Campus in Washington DC.
[says video games] motivates the student to continue to move forward with mastering concepts,
because Its all about content and mastery (Leila Meyer, 2015 Pg. 21). This is only one of the
teachers who are using an educational program that helps students learn math with an integrated
video game learning system. According to the article, other teachers are taking advantage of
video games and adapting them to work with classroom material, some teachers even used an
educational version of the hugely popular game Minecraft for teaching.
After taking in all of the information on educational video games it is shown that they can be
helpful tools for students and educators alike. I would just like to make it clear that this isnt
going too implemented in all classes or schools, but can be used as an alternative learning
method. Educational video games and gamification in the classroom is an effective way to learn
and in addition can proved a more relaxed environment while students learn. I would like to
urge people to use this highly valuable alternative learning method in schools as another option
for students to learn and have some fun doing it.

Works Cited:
1. ALSHAIJI, O. A. (2015). VIDEO GAMES PROMOTE SAUDI CHILDREN'S
ENGLISH VOCABULARY RETENTION. Education, 136(2), 123-132.
http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=111972214&site=ehost-live
2. Designing Gamification in the Right Way. (2015). Library Technology Reports, 51(2),
29-35. http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=101029552&site=ehost-live
3. HOVIOUS, A. S., & VAN ECK, R. N. (2015). Digital Games for 21st-Century
Learning. Teacher Librarian, 42(5), 34-38.
http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=103235154&site=ehost-live
4. Kingsley, T. t., & Grabner-Hagen, M. m. (2015). Gamification. Journal Of Adolescent
& Adult Literacy, 59(1), 51-61
http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=103382681&site=ehost-live
5. Marino, M. T., Becht, K. M., Vasquez III, E., Gallup, J. L., Basham, J. D., &
Gallegos, B. (2014). Enhancing Secondary Science Content Accessibility With Video
Games. Teaching Exceptional Children, 47(1), 27-34
http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=97425011&site=ehost-live

6. Meyer, L. (2015). 4 Innovative Ways to Teach With Video Games. T H E

Journal, 42(5), 20-24. http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=108973952&site=ehost-live
7. Portnow, James (2012, May 13th), Extra Credits: Gamifying Education [Youtube
video] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDLw1zIc94
(This article was watched to get an idea of gamification but not quoted or used in the
article).
8. Rui, I. M., & Dumani, M. (2015). GAMIFICATION IN
EDUCATION. Informatologia, 48(3/4), 198-204.
(URL COULD NOT BE FOUND)