Please go to Schedule page http://651.wikispaces.com/Schedule, Week 7 to read the article ExpertOfWeekArticle3ACaseStudy.pdf
Please have all comments listed before midnight on October 11, 2009. Thank you.
Q1. Did the author clearly state who the participants were? If so, did the author justify the sample size in this study?
Q2. Are the research questions clearly stated and relevant? Did the findings clearly and adequately answer all the research questions? Explain.
Q3. How were the conclusions supported and directly traceable to the data?
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The description of the participants is clear, but lacking in some detail. Furthermore, I feel that the selection of parents was skewed from the start. Advertising in the paper is casting a pretty small net, and will most likely catch a lot of the same kind of fish. The people responding would be those already involved in their child's education, and that is great! But not accurate. In this case all of the participants had a HS education with most having a college degree and more. This already leans towards positive parental involvement before this study even started.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as if the researchers feel that they have a very representative sample in size, family background and parental interest. If they came to my school the results would differ I am sure, depending on the sample group.
The main question I took from this piece, as I did not see it stated clearly, was; How can math/geog. games be integrated to become a part of 'family time' while furthering children's education and parental involvement? (Or something like that.) That question was answered and commented on in the conclusion on page 20. It states that the parents involved enjoyed incoorporating the games into regular routines and that learning occured each time. However, it also states that some families never responeded, that creates a gap in data that cannot be ignored. In addition, they based all the facts they did recieve on information given to them by the parents, who have a tendancyto give inaccurate information at risk of looking like 'bad parents'. Of course, almost any study runs the risk of misleading information.
Again, I feel there were not enough people involved, not enough of a representative sample group considewreing the make-up of public schools in the US.
-Josh
Josh- I agree with everything that you wrote. The sample size was very small and that could have effected the results. I also agree with your statement: "If they came to my school the results would differ I am sure, depending on the sample group." I think this is going to be how everyone feels. I have taught in PA and NY and at several different schools for practicums and student teaching, and I completely agree with your statement. All schools are so completely different, not only the administration but also the students and parents involved.
ReplyDeleteQ1. The author did state who the participants were. The author also did explain if the participant was a mother or a father, what percentages for each gender of parent was, where they were from and a little backgrouns about education of parent (graphic layout as well as written form). I did not see anywhere that the author justified the sample size in less I missed it.
ReplyDeleteQ2. Like Josh mentioned there is no specific question that I could find that was stated. However, I think the question would be something like how do families use games to better educate their child/ren if they even do use games? Also, if they did use these games how often and what do they notice their child/ren learning and in what subject areas? I think the findings did support the questions that I just came up with. The author used quotes and such from many parents to support their research. I think because the author introduced the games to the parents and the child/ren this has a large impact on the actual game playing. Sometimes half the batter with game playing (as I know from working at my after school program) is knowing how to play the game. You have to read all the directions, get things set up, the try to explain how to play the game IF the kids are still after all that time interested in playing.
Q3. I believe that the conclusions were supported through data throughout the study from parent quotes. I think yes they were traceable because the charts seemed to be given first then the explanations and quotes from parents were after. I like how the author created these charts as well as talked about the data. The Charts are a quick and easy way to look at the data without actually "reading" about it.
backgrounds* (hopefully that is the only spelling mistake!)
ReplyDeleteJosh & Laurin- I initially had posted the wrong article to read. A lot of it is similar so you do not have to read the other one. Again, I apologize but it was my fault. So don't worry about posting anymore because it was my fault! sorry!
ReplyDeleteOh thanks goodness..I was going to say do I need to read the other one? So we are all set then anyways?
ReplyDeleteyes you are all set. i apologize again, i have the flu and am just completely out of it!
ReplyDeleteThe author did state who the participants were near the beginning of the article, and he emphasized that the sample size was mostly white children who achieved high in school, I liked how the author justified the sample size towards the end of the article because it was easy to find and read because it had its own sub heading. The author stated that the sample size was not great and also it was only at one school and the sample size was not very diverse. I found that the research questions were easy to find and they are: How did students interact with computer math games and gamebased
ReplyDeletelearning environment? and Did math game-playing improve students’ math learning outcomes? It was interesting reading this article, because I have also wondered how much computer game programs help students learn. It stated that students enjoyed the games, but there wasn't a whole lot of improvement on their test scores. The article said that students were doing a lot of fast clicking, meaning that they were just chosing answers and not thinking it through. I think students do tend to do this, especially because I have seen in classrooms that sometimes there is a little bit of competitiveness between students to see who can get to the next level the fastest. I think some emphasize needs to be made on students taking these games seriously when they have computer lab time, because if not, then it is just wasting their time and the teacher's time. The article did state that teachers need to go around to the students and direct them through the programs, rather than just supervising. I think that the article did a decent job answering the questions.
Meg- I think you made a great point bringing up about how students try to go through it so fast because they are being competitive. I completely agree with this and I also have seen it in the classroom. A lot of students think that if they finish last, then they are slower and not as smart as the other students.
ReplyDeleteThe author completely stated who the participants were. He was very specific in giving the details. Categorizing the students into 4 levels of math was a good idea, but the number of participants was very low. This study does not really give an accurate measure because they only used 15 students, and it was voluntary. I would think that it is safe to assume that if the students volunteered two hours twice a week for math camp, they are interested in math.
ReplyDelete2.) The questions were clearly stated. I would have to say that the answer to the questions through the study were that educational games are not as engaging as other games, therefore not a great teaching tool. When going through the comments of the students, it is clear that the students lost interest quickly even when they were given the chance to pick what game they wanted rather than being told what to play. Even though it stated that achievement improved in the conclusion, that could be from other sources also. That is just me being skeptical of this case study.
3.) The test scores showed improvement from pre to post test scores. From the comments of the students it does not sound like they enjoyed their summer math program so getting them to play those games again might be difficult.
Good point Dave about the fact that who really knows what source actually played into the improvement in achievement-- because you really don't know what the students did in terms of math instruction besides what they did in the study!
ReplyDelete1) The researchers did state who the participants of the study were. I thought it was great for them to categorize the students into 4 levels of ability because it showed that there was some variety in the sample. I don't believe that the researchers justified their small sample size of 15 very well at all. In their limitations section they address the small size, but only go on to say that these results are specific to this sample, and should not be applied to any other population of students.
ReplyDelete2)I found the research question to be clearly stated, and they are: (1) How did students interact with computer math games and game-
based learning environment? (2) Did math game-playing improve students’ math learning outcomes?
The results showed that computer games did not greatly improve the test scores of the students at the end of the study. I found that the researchers made a point to say in their results, that students were noticeably more engaged when the learning was based within the game play, as opposed to outside. Games which didn't have the math problems built into the storyline/character also showed that the participants tended to make more wild guesses during the game.
3)The conclusions of this study were supported by the results. A conclusion that i found to be interesting, and also expected was that learning was secondary to game-play in many cases, and in some cases, it was just clicking answers to get through the game.
Q1: The author clearly stated who the participants were in this study. There were 15 students who took part in the study voluntarily and 2 times a week for five weeks. The ideas presented were amazing; however I have a huge problem with way it was conducted. We live in a society where technology is a part of everyday lives. It said in the article that 47% were on free or reduced lunch which probably means that they are also unable to afford a computer or gaming system of any kind. It bothers me that they would choose such an area with very limited people and most of which are WHITE! This study could have been so much better if they had expanded it more. I feel that it lacks validity and sure they got some numbers out of it, however 15 children for a study like this is ridiculous. I do not see it being justified at all.
ReplyDeleteQ2: The research questions are clearly stated. It did answer all of the questions they asked. You can ask a lot of good questions like these but it is how you try to answer them that will get you results. They had a good way of separating the students into groups and allowing them to choose which game they would like to play. However, with the examples of Ray and Jack, one being very advance in math and one being very low, they both struggled with the games. In that case why not guess. That is what most students would do in a situation like this. If they do not feel like it or it is too hard they usually guess and that does not help anybody.
Q3: I would say that the conclusions could be directly based on the chart and the results from it. It shows that there was improvement, but the section discussing wandering mouse-random clicking showed me otherwise. It said that at sometimes times it took students seconds to answer a question on the game. Why not do that on the questionnaires they gave? They probably did what they did in the game. Um, B looks like a good answer, I’ll choose that one. The study also showed that the girls were there to only socialize. No effect on the gaming whatsoever. They had to be reminded why they were there and get back on task. Effect on gaming in the classroom, none.
I really tore this apart. I apologize for my ranting throughout, but felt like it was completely necessary.
Q1. The author did clearly state who the participants of the study were. He also stated how he found participants, by advertising in a local news paper. I agree with Josh that the participants were skewed and the study defiantly did not have a variety of participants. Rather most of the parents had high school and college degrees and more then likely were already involved in the child’s education. I do think that the number of students were very low, with only 15 students. To find more accurate information more participants are needed to find more specific answers.
ReplyDeleteQ2. I believe that the author could have been more direct in stating the research question. I agree with Laurin, after reading the article I would assume that the question would be “Do families use games to better education their children? If games are used for education purposes how often are the games played and do they positively influence the child’s education?” The article does answer the questions that myself (and Laurin) came up with. It stated that students and parents do use games to help with their math skills, specifically. Currently I am teaching Kindergarten and I use games to reinforce skills that have been introduced constantly. Students automatically more interested and engaged in their learning when a game is used. It makes learning fun! I use games all day, to introduce new concepts, review and reinforce skills!
Q3. The data provided shows that the test scored did improve from the pre test to the post test. Based on the parent comments it would seem that the parents also say an improvement. I would like to know what the students thought. I believe that as educators we should not only care what the curriculum, principals and parents say about the students education but I believe we should also find out what the students think!
The article was clear that it was 15 students that volunteered to participate in the study. I agree with Mark that their should have been a larger and more diverse population of students looked at.
ReplyDeleteThe research questions are stated and eaisily found. The questions were also answered well. Although to get a real grasp of whether math computer games help students I would think a much large population and many different districts should be looked at and sampled. That would give a better idea of how well these educational math game would work.
The results were that students scored higher than on the pre test. I believe that math games are a great way for building mental math skills. I agree with Jenna that after the students not really enjoying the games it would be hard to have every student partake in them and enjoy them enough to do more of them to better their math skills.
Mark M- I agree with your thoughts on the sample size. I do not believe that it was big enough and was not very diverse. I also like how you bring up the point about how students make random guesses. I think a lot of students do just quickly answer the question so they can go to the next game.
ReplyDeleteMark P- As much as you say you ripped it apart, I agree with everything you said. That was one of the reasons we picked this article was because it was something that you can really disect and "rip apart". I agree when you say that just white students were used. It should have been more diverse. I also do agree with you too when they say that the girls were just there to socialize. I think that in this case, what were the teachers doing? A lot of teachers will bring their students to a computer lab and give them an assignment so they can use it as a planning period. Dont feel bad for ripping it apoart, made your post very interesting to read!
ReplyDeleteHannah- I agree when you say that students like playing games and get involved more. I think using games is such a great way to teach because it allows the students to have fun while learning. I guess using computer games would be difficult depending on the age. I also think that when using computer games, it can be done to teach math. But I think you have to have your full attention on that student. Therefore I think doing math in a large computer room is difficult and wastes time.
ReplyDeleteQ1: The article did clearly state who the participants were although I don't think it did a good job justifying the group. Like Mark M. said; it was nice for them to have broken the students up into ability levels for us but (if they didn't) they should have kept that specific information from those who observed the students. Maybe they did, but I feel like it would make some of them bias.
ReplyDeleteQ2: Yes, the questions were clearly stated and relevant. I do believe that the findings clearly and adequately answered the questions. We all want our students to learn as much as they can and just by seeing the test scores and the fact that the students seemed to be enjoying math more shows that this study was worth it and was relevant.
Q3: Like it was said before. The conclusions were supported by the data produced in the study. I like Mark M.'s point about how some students just needed the concepts to "click" and some students were just clicking any answer to get through the game.
Q1. I think that the author clearly stated who the participants were. They gave a great description of the sample they were using for this study. Again, as in many articles we have read, the sample size is small. Although, I feel that this sample size is justified because it is a "case study." I think we have to remember that this is Action Research and therefore the researcher is using it to improve instruction in their own classroom which would involve this population of students. I do agree that it is frustrating when the research is on a small scale and cannot therefore not be applied to classrooms everywhere, but classrooms everywhere are so different to begin with, that in education rarely can research be applied everywhere in a "one size fits all" model. Most research we read in education is done to improve teaching in one classroom, school, or district and can sometimes be applied to other classrooms. Think of all the textbook companies we are always complaining about...they claim their product is research based, but we are generally always saying that there is no way one product is going to work in every classroom for every kid across America.
ReplyDeleteQ2. As many posted above, the research question were clearly stated at the end of the introduction. I liked how in this study they clearly showed what information from other studies they were piggy backing off of to further the research of previous studies. I think the questions were relevant because gaming os the most often used form of technology integration in the classroom and I think we often assume if learning is in the form of a computer game, students are more engaged. It was interesting as someone previously pointed out that many students are "click happy" and just click through to move on in the game rather than genuinely answering the questions. I also love the student comments about this being a "learning game" and not fun. I can definitely see that happening.
Q3. I think there was a lot of data in this study. They researcher used both quantitative and qualitative forms of data collection. The qualitative data that involved interviewing students who participated in the study was traceable. It showed how they were really affected by the gaming. They were initially bored because the games were "learning" games. The researcher also used charts to show the results of the data. I think in this study there were almost too many forms of data collection going on. I was getting a little confused reading through the results. I think the quotes of student responses were the most helpful in answering the research questions for this study.
Jenna, I thought that your thoughts on the splitting up of the students into the levels creating some bias was quite interesting and unitl you brought it up I hadn't really even thought of that! good job
ReplyDeleteColleen, thanks for your detailed answers to the questions, I think you really nailed the question about the sample size, because after all it is a case study. Yes, the size is defintely frustrating especially after we are learnign about how to attain valid results and the "right" sample size but what you said is right on! :-)
ReplyDeleteConnie, I agree with you about the fact that to gain a better understanding and more valid results the study should have been expanded more in order to gain a more comprehensive idea of computer gaming and learning.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, let me apologize for this being so late. I could of swore that I had already posted this last week—must had been dreaming! Sorry guys!
ReplyDeleteQ1. Did the author clearly state who the participants were? If so, did the author justify the sample size in this study?
The author did state who the participants were – fifteen 4th-5th grade students who were enrolled in the summer math program, however I did not find anywhere where the author justified his sample size. To me, fifteen is a ridiculously small sample size. Not only does he only use fifteen participants, but he also breaks that fifteen down into four smaller groups, which leaves only 3.75 students to each sample group.
Q2. Are the research questions clearly stated and relevant? Did the findings clearly and adequately answer all the research questions? Explain.
Although the research questions are not clearly stated, they are in fact implied in the research article. From this article, I gathered something to the nature of “How can math games be used to better educate a student at home?” I believe the article also looked at the effects these math games had on the students learning and improvements in the mathematics area. I thought the research done in this study, despite the small sample size, was done very well, addressing and answering the question at hand.
Q3. How were the conclusions supported and directly traceable to the data?
The conclusions of this study were supported based on numerous forms of data collected throughout the study. Data was provided by mathematical statistics, as well as general observations and interviews of the students and the analysis of numerous gaming records. Overall, the study did conclude that math drill games did significantly enhance students’ positive attitudes toward math learning.