A Quantitative Review of Research on Instructional Simulation Gaming: A Twenty-Year Perspective

VanSickle, Ronald L.

doi:10.1080/00933104.1986.10505525

Cited by 38 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…For example, for declarative knowledge gain, an overall effect size of 0.34 was found in the present work, while previous works have found quite similar overall effect sizes of 0.35 for cognitive learning outcomes (Clark et al, 2015), of 0.27 for knowledge learning (Wouters et al, 2013) and of 0.28 for declarative knowledge gain (Sitzmann & Ely, 2011). For knowledge retention, an overall effect size of 0.31 was found in the present work, while previous works have found quite similar overall effect sizes of 0.36 (VanSickle, 1986Wouters et al, 2013. Sitzmann and Ely (2011) found a slightly lower effect size of 0.22 for this same outcome, a result which could possibly be explained by the fact that Sitzmann and Ely's study focused exclusively on adult trainees and, thus, on a very circumscribed educational context.…”

Section: Learning Outcomessupporting

confidence: 81%

Impact of serious games on science learning achievement compared with more conventional instruction: an overview and a meta-analysis

Riopel

Nenciovici

Potvin

et al. 2019

Studies in Science Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Serious games have become increasingly available to educators. Empirical studies and meta-analyses have examined their impact on learning achievement. However, natural sciences could have a special relation to serious games by their systematic use of quantitative and predictive models that can generate microworlds and simulations. Since no known meta-analysis on serious games observed a significant impact in the specific context of science learning, the present meta-analysis synthesized results from 79 empirical studies that compared the impact on science learning achievement of instruction using serious games versus instruction using more conventional methods. Consistent with theory and past meta-analyses not specifically related to science learning, post-instruction learning achievement was weakly to moderately higher for declarative knowledge, knowledge retention and procedural knowledge for students taught with serious games. Furthermore, findings of the present work suggest that five moderator variables produced significant effects on the relationship between playing serious games and learning outcomes, and three showed consistent variations in mean effect size that could lead to significance, with more studies and larger samples. These findings are discussed in connection with previous meta-analyses' findings, potential pedagogical implications and possible future research.

show abstract

Section: Learning Outcomessupporting

confidence: 81%

Impact of serious games on science learning achievement compared with more conventional instruction: an overview and a meta-analysis

Riopel

Nenciovici

Potvin

et al. 2019

Studies in Science Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although 32% of the studies found differences favoring simulations, most of these studies focused on mathematics and the language arts. Only a few studies showed differences favoring simulations with social science content (see also Van Sickel, 1986). Reaffirming the earlier reviews, these authors show that simulations improve retention of and enhance student interest in the material.…”

Section: Learning Through Simulation Role-playsupporting

confidence: 60%

Onstage or behind the scenes? Relative learning benefits of simulation role-play and design

Druckman

Ebner

2007

Simulation & Gaming

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Education at Tel-Hai College. Thanks go to Yael Efron for her assistance on the reliability analyses of the codes for the open-ended questions. We also extend our gratitude to the three anonymous referees and to the editor for their very helpful suggestions. We are pleased with the interest they showed in the issues that we addressed and in the research strategy that we developed for investigating these issues.In this article, the authors report the results of two experiments that explored hypotheses about the relative learning advantages of role-play and scenario design. The experiments were conducted with similar student populations in Australia and Israel. Using a matched-pairs design, participants were randomly assigned to design and role-play conditions. They worked on their tasks following an hour-long lecture on three negotiation concepts: alternatives, time pressure, and negotiating power. A lecture-only control group was implemented in the Australian experiment. In both experiments, designers, working "behind the scenes," indicated better concept learning in the short run than their role-play counterparts performing "onstage," as well as in comparison with the control group. They showed better understanding of the way the concepts are related and retained the learning gains over time. Moreover, the designers were at least as motivated as role-players and controls and, for the Israel participants, showed more motivation. The results, favoring designers, spread widely across the various questions, asked immediately after the experience and 1 week later: 86% of the answers given favored designers in terms of direction; 52% of these were statistically significant. Implications are discussed for explanatory mechanisms, programmatic research, and teaching/training approaches.

show abstract

“…Lee (1999) focused on the comparison of pure and hybrid simulations finding that hybrid simulations had a significant advantage over pure simulations in learning outcomes. VanSickle (1986) found that there was a slight advantage in gaming simulations to produce positive attitudes toward the subject matter being studied compared to other teaching methods. Additionally, the analysis revealed that using gaming simulations for learning resulted in higher cognitive gains when compared to other teaching methods, but not to traditional, lecture methods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Computer Gaming and Interactive Simulations for Learning: A Meta-Analysis

Vogel

Cannon‐Bowers

et al. 2006

Journal of Educational Computing Research

744

459

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Substantial disagreement exists in the literature regarding which educational technology results in the highest cognitive gain for learners. In an attempt to resolve this dispute, we conducted a meta-analysis to decipher which teaching method, games and interactive simulations or traditional, truly dominates and under what circumstances. It was found that across people and situations, games and interactive simulations are more dominant for cognitive gain outcomes. However, consideration of specific moderator variables yielded a more complex picture. For example, males showed no preference while females showed a preference for the game and interactive simulation programs. Also, when students navigated through the programs themselves, there was a significant preference for games and interactive simulations. However, when teachers controlled the programs, no significant advantage was found. Further, when the computer dictated the sequence of the program, results favored those in the traditional teaching method over the games and interactive simulations. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for exiting theoretical positions as well as future empirical research.

show abstract

A Quantitative Review of Research on Instructional Simulation Gaming: A Twenty-Year Perspective

Cited by 38 publications

References 47 publications

Impact of serious games on science learning achievement compared with more conventional instruction: an overview and a meta-analysis

Impact of serious games on science learning achievement compared with more conventional instruction: an overview and a meta-analysis

Onstage or behind the scenes? Relative learning benefits of simulation role-play and design

Computer Gaming and Interactive Simulations for Learning: A Meta-Analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About