Raising Parental Awareness about Game-based Learning
Yulia Piller and Jami Robert-Woychesin
University of North Texas, Department of Learning Technologies, Denton, Texas, U.S.A.
Keywords: Game-based Learning, Parental Involvement, Parents and Video Games, Benefits of Game-based Learning.
Abstract: The main argument presented in this paper is that educators, researchers and school administrators must
develop effective techniques to educate parents about potential benefits of digital game based learning.
Authors suggest that one of the reasons schools are hesitant to introduce video games into the curriculum is
the fear of parental objection. This paper provides a few suggestions on what factors might contribute to
negative parental attitude toward video games in the classroom; lack of experience with video game play,
inadequate understanding of the complex nature of video games, limited knowledge about benefits of game
play and negative media messages are among them.
1 INTRODUCTION
The effect of video games on learning is an
emergent area of research in the social sciences and
education (Bourgonjon, et al., 2011; Clark, et al.,
2013; Oosting, et al., 2008). The majority of
research on digital game based learning not only
“links video games with contemporary learning
theories” (Bourgonjon, et al., 2011, p.1434) and
focuses on teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward
integration of video games into the classroom.
Relatively little research on game based learning
addresses parental attitudes toward implementation
of video games into the classroom setting
(Bourgonjon et al., 2011; Turkay, et al., 2014).
However, it is important to raise parental awareness
of the potential benefits of digital game based
learning. Educators and administrators should
develop engagement strategies to help parents
understand the purpose of using games in the
classroom.
In his 2012 book, “The Modern Parent’s Guide
to Kids and Video Games,” Scott Steinberg provides
several examples of how video games are being
incorporated into the classroom. To alleviate
parental concern that passive video game play can
lead to obesity and passive, sedentary lifestyles,
“West Virginia (schools) have even adopted “active”
titles like Dance Dance Revolution, which get
players up and moving, as part their physical
education programs, in hopes of better exciting and
motivating pupils” (Steinberg, 2012, p.2).
Many companies produce educational versions
of their games to be used in the classroom
(Steinberg, 2012). One of the best examples is
Minecraft.edu. TeacherGaming – a company started
by three teachers from the US and Finland, created a
modified a version of Minecraft that is flexible and
powerful enough to be adapted by teachers for
various subjects. According to Bristow (2013), by
fall 2013, Minecraft.edu was used by 2500 schools
worldwide. In 2012, Centre on Education Policy
issued their last paper in the series of six reports
dealing with students‘ motivation to learn. The paper
provides a short list of educational games developed
to reinforce academic skills and to motivate
disengaged students. Lure of the Labyrinth by MIT
and MIND Research Institute are among them.
Despite the fact that educators and researchers are
willing to incorporate non-traditional approaches to
teaching (Center on Education Policy, 2012),
schools are slow to adopt digital game-based
learning as part of their curriculum (Bourgonjon et
al., 2011).
Research demonstrates that one of the reasons
educational institutions are hesitant to introduce
video games into the curriculum is the fear of
negative parental reaction to such an endeavour
(Bourgonjon et al., 2011; Takeuchi and Vaala,
2014). In 2009 BECTA’s (British Educational
Communications and Technology Agency) report
titled “Computer games, schools, and young people:
A report for educators on using games for learning,”
the authors stated that 49% of teachers reported that
objections from parents is fifth major barrier to the
385
Piller Y. and Roberts-Woychesin J..
Raising Parental Awareness about Game-based Learning.
DOI: 10.5220/0005406203850389
In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2015), pages 385-389
ISBN: 978-989-758-108-3
Copyright
c
2015 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)
integration of games into the curriculum
(Williamson, 2009). In 2014 “A National Survey on
Teaching with Digital Games” demonstrated that
more than 9% of teachers believe that the lack of
parental support is one of the greatest barriers
educators face in using digital games in the
classroom (Takeuchi and Vaala, 2014, p.53). A
study conducted by Bourgonjon et al., (2011)
presented empirical evidence that “the fear of
teachers concerning parental acceptance of DGBL is
real” (p. 1440). Eight hundred fifty eight people
participated in the aforementioned study and
majority of demonstrated very low level of
acceptance of digital game based learning
(Bourgonjon et al., 2011). . Further, they expressed
rather negative beliefs about video games in
educational settings. Lack of parental experience
with video game play, inadequate understanding of
the complex nature of video games, limited
knowledge about benefits of game play and negative
media messages about the video games shape
parental attitude and perceptions about video game
based learning (Bourgonjon et al., 2010 and 2011;
Turkay et al., 2014).
2 PARENTS AND VIDEO GAMES
According to Rideout (2014), one of the reasons
parents might object the use of educational games in
the classroom is the idea that games and media in
general do not represent great sources of learning.
The results of 2014 national survey report “Learning
at home: Families’ educational media use in
America” demonstrated that when given a scale 96%
of parents believe that parents themselves are the
best sources of learning for their children; 73%
stated that teachers are the best sources; 67% believe
that books are the most important tools for learning
and only 10% thought that media and video games
are very important for teaching and learning
(Rideout, 2014, p. 25).
Research by Pasnik, Strother, Schindel, Penuel,
and Llorente, 2007) demonstrated that what most
parents know about video games is based on media
messages. They also receive information from the
early studies on multimedia and how it impacts
children’ learning and behaviour rather than more
recent ones. Over the years, many researchers have
questioned whether digital multimedia, including
video games are appropriate learning environments
for children (Pasnik et al., 2007). Pasnik et al.,
(2007) outlined several research studies by Corteen
and Williams, 1986; Gadberry, 1980; and Hornik,
1978 that “have claimed that [media] displaces other
activities that might have a greater impact on
children’s literacy skills and their cognitive and
emotional development in general” (p.28).
2.1 Research on Games Today
More recent studies by Bavelier, Green, Schrater,
and Pouget (2011), Green, Sugarman, Medford,
Klobusicky, and Bavelier (2012), Green and
Bavelier (2012) demonstrated that video gamers are
notably different from non-gamers in certain real-
life skills such as speed, accuracy and attention.
Feng, Spence, and Pratt (2007) conducted a study in
which female participants were trained on action
video games in order to improve their spatial
cognition - one of the essential mental skills for
math and engineering.
On average women are significantly worse than
men on spatial cognition testing (Feng et al, 2007 p.
850),; however after 10 hours of training in action
video games, women’s scores have substantially
improved (Feng et al, 2007, p. 853). In 2010
researchers from the Centre for Vision Research at
York University selected 26 young men in their
twenties and placed them in a functional magnetic
resonance imaging machine to measure which areas
of the brain were activated while subjects completed
a series of complex visiomotor tasks (Granek,
Gorbet, and Sergio, 2010). Thirteen men who had
played video games at least four hours a week
demonstrated much better results in performing
increasingly difficult visiomotor tasks than other 13
men who were non-players. Researchers were able
to test how the skills learned during video game play
can transfer over to other tasks and “how long-term,
heavy experience with video games can alter the
brain activity involved in controlling other types of
visually guided movements” (Granek et al, 2010, p.
1172). Trudeau (2010) noted that,
The non-gamers had to think a lot more and use a
lot more of the workhorse parts of their brains for
eye-hand coordination, whereas the gamers really
didn't have to use that much brain at all, and they
just used these higher cognitive centres to do it.
In addition, Green et al., (2012) found that action
games allow students to become much better in
multitasking. Their research demonstrated that, in
lab tests on multitasking, the cost of switching
between the tasks and the reaction time was
significantly better in action game players than in
non-players. (Green et al, 2012, p.993).
In a 1983 study on the educational effectiveness of
television viewing, Singer and Singer suggested that
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by engaging in multimedia experiences, children’
imaginations and creative abilities will become
stagnant. However, Jackson, Witt, Games,
Fitzgerald, von Eye, and Zhao (2011) “found that
videogame playing was related to multiple
dimensions of creativity, regardless of the type of
videogame played” (p. 5). Jackson et al., (2011)
worked with the group of 491 twelve-year-old
students and discovered that the more video games
children played, the more creative they were in
activities such as storytelling and drawing.
2.2 Parental Bias against Games
Bourgonjon et al., (2010) found that parental
perspective of video games is biased and largely
influenced by subjective norm and “the negative
image of the video games as portrayed by in the
popular media” (p. 1440). Echoing the results of
Bourgonjon’s et al (2007) findings, Vitelli (2014)
stated
Despite the potential value of video games, much
of the media coverage up to now has been negative,
particularly due to concerns about potential video
game addiction and their violent content. (…)
attaching labels such as "good", "bad", "violent", or
"prosocial" largely overlooks the complex picture
surrounding the new generation of video games now
available. (para. 19)
3 PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
AND MEDIATION
Singer and Singer (1983) suggested that being
engaged in multimedia activities might stunt
children’ imaginations. However, the authors also
noted that adult mediation was a key factor in
educational effectiveness of multimedia experiences.
Echoing these findings,, Neuman (1995) suggested
that parent-child interaction, family dynamics, and
family norms about media help children form their
own media perceptions. The author (1995) further
noted, that what children learn by using and
participating in different multimedia environments
largely depends on how the use of those tools is
mediated by parents and teachers. However,
according to Rideout (2014) many parents feel that
they are not aware of the educational value of the
media; therefore, they rely on teachers for help (p.
25) Several researchers agree that parental
involvement and mediation are significant factors in
contributing to the overall educational effect of
multimedia in general and video games in particular
(Neuman, 1995; Rideout, 2014; Singer and Singer,
1983; Skoien and Berthelsen, 1996; Steinberg, 2012;
Turkay et al., 2014; Whitebread, Basilio, Kuvalja
andVerma, 2012; Williamson, 2009).
Many researchers agree that parents play an
important role in students’ and eventually educators’
attitudes toward gaming (Skoien and Berthelsen,
1996; Whitebread et al., 2012). Green, Ortiz, and
Lim (2009) argued that if parents accepted a certain
non-traditional (digital) learning tool, then their
children would most likely have a similar attitude
toward it. Parents might be the support system that
educators need in order to ensure that students are
able to see educational value of video games and are
willing to think critically and draw connections
between what they learn in the gaming environment
and core subject areas (Bourgonjon et al., 2011;
Kenny and McDaniel, 2009; Williamson, 2009).
3.1 Increasing Parental Involvement
with Games
Providing parents with opportunities to learn about
potential benefits of DGBL might increase parental
involvement into the learning process and motivate
parents to be more engaged in their children’s
education (Williamson, 2009). “Just over half
(55%) of parents agree strongly (20%) or somewhat
(35%) that they would like more information from
experts about how to find good […], games, and
websites to support their child’s learning” (Rideout
2014, p.26). One of the main triggers that would
stimulate parental interest might be “related to
public perceptions about what actually constitutes
valid and valuable educational activity, and is
similarly related to popular perceptions of gaming as
a purely pleasurable pastime rather than a
challenging complex of social activities and skills”
(Williamson, 2009, p.35).
This skepticism might provoke parents to get
involved and ensure that games in the classroom are
beneficial to the child’s learning. Williamson (2009)
also reported that
…a secondary school has approached parental
engagement through showcase events and personal
contact with parents; at one such evening showcase
event, 250 parents turned up, exceeding attendance
for some other events. This demonstrates how the
use of games in schools galvanizes interest; a more
focused exploration of parents’ attitudes towards
educational gaming would provide useful evidence
to understand this more fully (p.35).
RaisingParentalAwarenessaboutGame-basedLearning
387
Henderson and Mapp (2002) compiled 51
studies that provide empirical evidence that there is
positive correlation between parental engagement
into their children’s education and student
achievement. By bringing parents on board and
educating them about the potential of video games
we can create partnership that will allow students to
extend their learning beyond the classroom
(Henderson and Mapp, 2002). It follows that the
more involved parents are in their children
education, the better their children do at school.
4 CONCLUSIONS
When it comes to children’s education parental
beliefs are extremely influential on several levels
(Bourgonjon et al., 2011; Skoien and Berthelsen,
1996; Whitebread et al., 2012). Skoien and
Berthelsen (1996) contended, “An exploration of
parental thinking, behavior and other contextual
aspects of families in relation to video games will
provide insight into that impact” (p. 2). It is
important for educators and researchers to
understand parental feelings toward gaming as it
may contribute to the decisions teachers and
administrators make. These include assigning
homework, creating projects, and integrating
innovative technologies into the classroom. In
addition, parents might greatly benefit from what
Buckingham and Burn (2007) called game literacy.
This approach might allow us to teach “about games
as a cultural medium in his or her own right, just as
we teach about film or television or literature”
(Buckingham and Burn, 2007, p. 323).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank Dr. Warren from the
University of North Texas for his contribution and
motivation.
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