Can Wii Engage College-Level Learners? Use of Commercial Off-the-Shelf Gaming in an Introductory Statistics Course

Technological advancements and growing dependence on media outlets as sources of information compete for the attention of individuals born in a rapidly expanding digital age. As a result, educators using traditional, nondigital teaching methods struggle with keeping students engaged in the classroom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computers in the schools 2014-01, Vol.31 (1-2), p.103-115
Main Authors: Stansbury, Jessica A., Wheeler, Evangeline A., Buckingham, Justin T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of variance
Behavioral Sciences
Computer & video games
Education
higher education
Hypothesis Testing
Information technology
Innovation
innovative methods
Introductory Courses
Learner Engagement
Learning
Lectures
Outcomes of Education
Pretests Posttests
Statistical Analysis
Statistics
Student Attitudes
Students
Supplementary Education
Teacher Attitudes
Teaching
Teaching Methods
Technological change
Technology Uses in Education
Undergraduate Students
Variance analysis
Video Games
video gaming
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Summary:Technological advancements and growing dependence on media outlets as sources of information compete for the attention of individuals born in a rapidly expanding digital age. As a result, educators using traditional, nondigital teaching methods struggle with keeping students engaged in the classroom. The present study assessed the extent to which a digitally enhanced learning environment can improve student involvement in learning. A traditional behavioral statistics lecture was supplemented with Nintendo Wii video gaming to increase student content knowledge comprehension and engagement with course material. A mixed Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that those in the video gaming condition improved significantly more than those receiving traditional lecture only. This research suggests that students can learn difficult conceptual material (i.e., statistics) through more novel, interactive teaching methods.
ISSN:0738-0569
1528-7033
DOI:10.1080/07380569.2014.879791