Digital game‐based learning for K–12 mathematics education: A meta‐analysis

Abstract

Digital games (e.g., video games or computer games) have been reported as an effective educational method that can improve students' motivation and performance in mathematics education. This meta‐analysis study (a) investigates the current trend of digital game‐based learning (DGBL) by reviewing the research studies on the use of DGBL for mathematics learning, (b) examines the overall effect size of DGBL on K‐12 students' achievement in mathematics learning, and (c) discusses future directions for DGBL research in the context of mathematics learning. In total, 296 studies were collected for the review, but of those studies, only 33 research studies were identified as empirical studies and systematically analyzed to investigate the current research trends. In addition, due to insufficient statistical data, only 17 out of the 33 studies were analyzed to calculate the overall effect size of digital games on mathematics education. This study will contribute to the research community by analyzing recent trends in significant DGBL research, especially for those who are interested in using DGBL for mathematics education.

Digital Learning Games for Mathematics and Computer Science Education: The Need for Preregistered RCTs, Standardized Methodology, and Advanced Technology

“…The investigated games differed in the degree to which they provided cognitive scaffolding and offered opportunities for proficiency development and reflection upon learning strategies. In a recent meta-analysis which included 17 studies, Byun and Joung (2018) found an overall weighted effect size of d = 0.37 for the relative effectiveness of digital games for learning mathematics. Yet, effect sizes vary largely between the analyzed studies.…”

“…Often multiple measurement points are reported, differing in time intervals between measurements (Bottino et al, 2007;Kebritchi et al, 2010;Habgood and Ainsworth, 2011;Bai et al, 2012;Shin et al, 2012;Bakker et al, 2015). Methodologies entail qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, with the latter two being the most prevalent (for a comprehensive overview, see Byun and Joung, 2018).…”

“…Even though the number of digital educational games for learning mathematics ( Erickson, 2015 ; Byun and Joung, 2018 ) and programming ( Lindberg et al, 2018 ) has been growing, evidence-based digital learning games for computer science in primary education are rare. In a recent systematic literature review, only two studies were identified which investigated DGBL in elementary computer science education, both of which were of relatively low quality in terms of study design, appropriateness of methods and analyses, generalizability, relevance, and trustworthiness of findings ( Hainey et al, 2016 ).…”

The influences of contextualized media on students' science attitudes, knowledge, and argumentation learning through online game‐based activities

“…When learning through games, students typically take greater interest in and have more opportunities for discovering, talking, exploring, and questioning (Perini et al, ; Yang, ). However, the use of GBL does not guarantee that learners will consistently achieve better learning results because it is not possible to identify a clear causal relationship between students' gameplay experiences and academic performance (Byun & Joung, ; Meluso et al, ; Wrzesien & Raya, ). As O'Neil, Wainess, and Baker () articulated, educational GBL should take the prior knowledge and life experiences of individuals into account in order to enhance learning outcomes.…”

Digital Inquiry Through Games

“…In a similar vein, Tokac et al (2019) highlight that video games are only a slightly effective teaching strategy for teaching mathematics at PreK-secondary levels. Moreover, Byun and Joung (2018) underline the need for more empirical research studies so as to more accurately determine the effect of electronic games on maths learning. According to Tokac et al (2019), there is a need for a more attentive approach to game design with respect to specific learning outcomes across various mathematical domains.…”