Investigating the impact of video games on high school students’ engagement and learning about genetics

• Published in: Computers and education Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 74 - 85
• Main Authors: Annetta, Leonard A., Minogue, James, Holmes, Shawn Y., Cheng, Meng-Tzu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applications in subject areas; Educational Games; Educational Technology; Genetics; High School Students; Instructional Effectiveness; Interactive learning environments; Learner Engagement; Pedagogical issues; Program Effectiveness; Quasiexperimental Design; Science Instruction; Secondary education; Teacher Developed Materials; Video Games; Virtual reality; Interactive learning environments; Applications in subject areas; Secondary education; Pedagogical issues; Virtual reality
• ISSN: 0360-1315; 1873-782X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2008.12.020

The popularity of video games has transcended entertainment crossing into the world of education. While the literature base on educational gaming is growing, there is still a lack of systematic study of this emerging technology’s efficacy. This quasi-experimental study evaluated a teacher created video game on genetics in terms of its affective and cognitive impact on student users. While statistical results indicated no differences ( p > .05) in student learning as measured by our instrument, there were significant differences ( p < .05) found in the participants’ level of engagement while interfacing with the video game. Implications on this emerging line of inquiry are discussed.