A game helped students learn computer memory better than a website

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   88 students aged 16 to 17 took part, 46 boys and 42 girls, from two high schools in Trikala, Greece.

2. 02

   What they did

   Whole classes were put into one of two groups by chance. Each student spent two school hours at a computer. One group played a maze game on computer memory, with lives and points. The other used a website with the same lessons and quizzes but no game.

3. 03

   What happened

   Students who played the game did better on the test at the end than the website group. They also rated the game as more appealing and more educational. The two versions did not differ on interface quality or on how easy the material and questions were to get through. Boys and girls gained about equally from the game.

What the study found

1. HelpedGoals

   Students who learned from a game with lives and points scored higher on a test of computer memory afterwards.

   • Rule: Make it enjoyabletested

   Small randomised trial of 88 high school students in Greece · vs students who used a website with the same lessons · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people

2. HelpedMotivation

   Students who played the game rated it as more appealing overall than the website.

   • Rule: Make it enjoyabletested

   Small randomised trial of 88 high school students in Greece · vs students who used a website with the same lessons · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people

Source