SWTIRIA MOY
SWTIRIA MOY
SWTIRIA MOY
org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol.5, No.5, 2014
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the difference between the effect of using traditional teaching instruction
and using traditional teaching instruction supported with Educational Math Game Software (EMGS) on first
grade students' achievement. This study was conducted in one elementary school in Jordan. It used a quasi-
experimental control group design. Educational math game software was developed to investigate the difference
between the two groups that were given a pre-test and a post-test to measure their achievements in math. The
results of the study shows that the learning environment in math supported with EMGS have a positive effect on
first grade students' math achievements. The study showed a progress on the part of the experimental group
which used traditional teaching instruction supported with Educational Math Game Software (CMG). It was
reflected positively in the first grade students’ achievement in math.
Keywords: math game, educational computer game, educational technology, teaching math, computer and
instruction
1. Introduction
Learning is a process for creating knowledge and life experience to use it and apply it in life situation
(Steinkuehler, 2010). In traditional way of teaching, ideas are presented in theoretical way without sufficient
opportunities for students to engage in class activities such as: problem solving, games, and lab experiment
(Euler, 2011). Students have associated the feeling of success in school with fun because it motivated them. At
the same time having fun during learning process varied depending on the type of class activity (Sullivan, 1993).
Using activity make students feel skillful in mathematics classroom subject are more confident in learning, task-
involve, and motivated to learn (Kloosterman & Gorman, 1990).
Technology has become an essential tool for teaching mathematics in today’s world. It can be used in a variety
of ways to enhance the learning process. Evolution of teaching mathematic is moving toward using computer
application. It provided new ways to represent mathematical information and offering more choices about
learning content. Computer games as a choice to introduce new math content, viewed as a strategy to motivate
students and as a successful way to introduce new lesson (Koc, 2005).
Researchers have found that using technology to introduce new ideas can help teachers: build upon students’
prior knowledge and skills, emphasize the connections among mathematical concepts, connect abstractions to
real-world settings, and introduce more advanced ideas (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999). The new era of
technology provided more opportunity to create a good learning environment in teaching mathematics.
Technology support education by providing teachers and students with tools that create opportunities to enhance
mathematics learning and by having more learning activities. In the other hand, traditional way of teaching
mathematics that focuses on teacher-centered is still dominate in classrooms instruction (European Commission,
2007). Teaching math using technology as a learning tool has specific standards such as: technology can
facilitate mathematical problem solving and communication skills; can provide students with opportunities to
explore different representations of mathematical ideas (NCTM, 2000). Using computer to teach many math
topics, for example shapes that can be introduce to students by using computer environment that can generate
multiple representations of a shape that help students generalize their conceptual image of that shape in any size
or orientation (Damarin, S. & Shelton, M., 1985).
Educational games strategy promotes learning and reduces the teaching time for new ideas or topics (Van Eck,
2006). It helps students improve their cognitive, social, and moral attitudes. It also, helps students to be more
creative and independent (Zavaleta and others, 2005). This strategy can build valuable students skills such as
strategic thinking, planning, communication, negotiating skills, and data-handling (Kirriemuir & Mcfarlane,
2004). Games have been presented by many educators as a good learning tool that supports mathematics
classroom instruction (Gough, 1999). Mathematical games is an 'activities' that involve a challenge for students,
have a set of rules to follow, have different choices, and have a set of cognitive objectives (Oldfield, 1992).
To gains greatest benefits of using computer games, teachers should do the following: encourage competition,
Target an important academic content, provide opportunities for students to examine their improvements and
enjoy playing (Robert, 2010).
Computer educational game motivates students to spend time on task to master the required skills. The literature
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ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol.5, No.5, 2014
reveals that the educational games design should include different elements, such as narrative context, rules,
goals, rewards, and interactivity game design should have procedures to assess students progress and feedback
activities (Dondlinger, 2007). Using educational computer game as an educational software method consider as
an important tool in understanding new concepts, which make it easy and motivated to learn (Akpinar, 2005). It
is a good learning method when it built to incorporate with learning principles and goals (Gee, 2005). For
computer games to be more efficient on learning process it should have a cultural educational potential and
content that understood by the students (Roach, 2003). It helps students learn science by exploring chemical
processes and creating materials that difficult to work directly in real life situation (Ronan & Eliahu, 2000).
There are many educational benefits of using computer games in teaching such as: provide a meaningful learning
situations, support students to build a positive attitude such as providing opportunities for students, motivate
students to learn, build a self-concept and developing positive attitudes towards mathematics, increase learning
by adding more formal activities, create more interaction between students, give students opportunities to self
assessments, and improve students problem solving skills. It consider as interactive learning tasks for both
school and home and allow students to operate at different levels, and make students can work independently (
Davies, 1995) .
Computer games need to be sufficiently challenging by having different game levels to engage students in the
learning process. These levels should be flexible, changing as students become more proficient in one level.
Teachers should monitor students’ use of these materials to make sure that they follow the structure and rules of
the game, because students need guidance and opportunities to reflect on their work. Using educational games in
the classroom is associated with the improvements in student achievement (Haystead, & Marzano, 2009).
Educational games that designed by using different using Multimedia Tools items are highly motivated and
interactive, with many user-controlled features. Computer games have different levels of difficulty. The
importance of these levels is to create challenge in a game that suitable to student’s skill. It helps students by
starting with a subset of skills and adding additional skills as the earlier ones are mastered (Rieber, 2005).
Educational software divided into five types: tutorial, drill and practice, simulation, educational games, and
hypermedia type (Ozman, 2004). There are different computer games to perform a specific math task and train
students to solve math problems such as: Treasure Hunt, Puzzles, and Tic-Tac-Toe Board. Using the computer
game strategy to teach math helped educator to reinforce academic mathematic standards (Gee, 2003).
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Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol.5, No.5, 2014
skills or rehearse memorized facts. Lee, Luchini,, Michael, Norris & Soloway, (2004) found that a math
computer game encouraged students to complete a greater number of problems at different levels of difficulty.
Students who use math computer game completed solving nearly three times the number of problems compares
to students using paper worksheets.
Salen and Zimmerman (2004) found on his research that elementary and secondary students use computer
games. Girls use it for five hours a weak, in the other hand boys use computer games for thirteen hours a weak.
Laffey, Espinosa, Moore, & Lodree (2003) studied the effect of computer math games on at-risk pre-school
children and first grade students. He found that a significant improvements of students math achievement and
they play more attention
Rosas, Nussbaum,, Cumsille, Marianov, Correa, & Flores. (2003) studied the effect of educational computer
game on students' motivation to learn. They found a positive effect of educational games on the motivation of 1st
and 2nd grad students. Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin, & Means (2000) study the benefits of the use of
computer-based math classroom. The finding of the study indicates that it support learning process, and it could
be useful in developing students' higher-order skills of critical thinking and analysis. Computer-based math can
be used to improve students understand the core concepts in math, science, and literacy. This tool help students
builds confidences on their learning and it is a great tool for remediation slower learners. Amory, Naicker,
Vincent, & Adams (1999) study different computer game types and the important elements that motivate
students to play. It found that students were more motivated to play computer games with objectives that require
higher order thinking skills to improve their creative problem solving and decision-making skills.
Many researches (Prinsky, 2001, Mitchel and Savill-Smith, 2004, VanDeventer and White, 2002, and BECTA,
2001) focused on the advantages of using computer games in teaching process. They found that there are many
advantages such as: increase students learning skills, motivate students to learn, increase their cognitive
development, improve their problem solving skills, and improve their collaboration skills
4. Method
This study is an experimental research design taken from pre and post test group model. This is a two group
design, where one group is exposed to a treatment and the results are tested while a control group is not exposed
to the treatment and similarly tested in order to compare the effects of treatment (Campbell and Stanley, 1963).
4.1 Sample
The present study was conducted in the second semester of the school year 2012-2013. The sample of the study
consisted of first grade students at one elementary school in Jordan. Participants of this study consist of 50 first
grade students; 25 in the control group, 25 in the experimental group. The control group used traditional teaching
instruction (TTI) and the experimental group used traditional teaching instruction supported with CMG. The
experiment lasted for two months.
4.2 Instrumentation
To achieve the aims of the study, the researcher design Computer Math Game Software (CMGS) and an
achievement test:
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Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol.5, No.5, 2014
5. Result
Means and standard deviations for pre-test scores for both the experimental and control groups in the
achievement test are reported in Table 1. The data analysis show the p-value was less than .05 (not normal
groups) for that the Mann-Whitney Test and CI was used for this study using the pre-test scores as a covariate.
Statistically no significant difference has been found between the mean scores of the experimental and control
groups in their pre test scores (p=.5936) as shown in Table 1 and Figure 1.
Table 1. Means and Standard Deviations (SD) for Pre-test for Control and Experimental Group Scores
Pre-test
Group N Mean SD Median P-Value
Control group 25 81.880 8.927 85.00 0.5936
Experimental 25 81.960 11.286 88.00
group
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ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol.5, No.5, 2014
B o x p l o t o f c o n t -p r e ; e x p -p r e
100
90
80
Data
70
60
50
c o n t- p r e e xp -p re
100
95
90
85
Data
80
75
70
65
cont-post exp-post
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ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol.5, No.5, 2014
These findings suggest that using traditional teaching instruction supported with Computer Math Game (CMG)
software on first grade students' achievement in math is likely to be an effective way for teaching. The CMG
created such a learning environment that could find equal opportunities to practice math and have feedback on
their progress.
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