Week 1 Assignment Finding Nemo? No, Finding Research

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review Matrix 1

Literature Review Matrix

EDU 671 Fundamentals of Educational Research

Prof. Newton Miller

March 10, 2014

Step 1:

Table 1: First five entries on my internet search using Google.

Literature Review Matrix 2

Title &

URL Address

Author of

Source

Type of Source

Date of

Publication

Summary of

Source

Video Games Are The Perfect Way To Teach Math, Says Stanford Mathematician http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordans hapiro/2013/08/29/video-games-are- the-perfect-way-to-teach-math-says- stanford-mathematician/

Jordan Shapiro

Forbes

Magazine Article

08/29/2013

Dr. Keith Devlin, a mathematician at Stanford University, founded a learning game studio called “Innertube Games.” The studio offers computer games geared towards developing math skills appropriate to particular ages and skill levels.

Dragon Box Algebra http://www.dragonboxapp.com/

“Dragon Box” seems to be the name of the organization

Blog

Copyright 2012

This is a computer game created to help kids, ages K- 12, learn Algebra. Removes the negativity around learning algebra. It’s not only a game, but an educational app that teachers can use in the classroom.

Learning Math Through Video Games An Interview with Keith Devlin http://www.mathmirror.org/perspecti ves/entry/learning-math-through- video-gamesan-interview-with-keith- devlin/

The Math Inquiries

Project

Math Mirror

Blog

Could not

Find a Date For this Website

This is an actual video interview of Dr. Keith Devlin. He mainly discusses how “new-age” technology is being used to help people better understand and learn math skills.

Computer Games + math = fun and learning in schools http://seattletimes.com/html/localne ws/2021661306_seriousgamesxml.ht ml

Katherine Long, Reporter

The Seattle

Times Newspaper

article

Wednesday,

Aug. 21, 2013

This article discusses how more teachers are using computer games in their classrooms to help teach math skills. Many of them are even developing their own tablet-based games.

Differentiating in Math Using Computer Games https://www.teachingchannel.org/vid eos/differentiating-in-math

Robert Pronovost,

Teacher

The Teaching Channel

Video Blog

2014

This is a great video on how Mr. Pronovost uses computers and iPads in his classroom, and has the students play math games on them to help them learn the skills.

Step 2:

Table 2: First five entries for my search through the Ashford Library, using ProQuest and the same search wording as I used for Google.

Literature Review Matrix 3

Title &

URL Address

Author of

Source

Type of Source

Date of

Publication

Summary of

Source

Computer Games for the Math Achievement of Diverse Students http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/128703 7266/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/1?ac countid=32521

Sunha Kim

And Mido Chang

Educational

Technology & Society

Article

2010

A study was done examining the effects of using computer games to learn math. The subjects were 4th graders, with a special focus on gender and language minority groups. The study showed positive effects for male students with language barriers, but negative effects for English speaking students both male and female.

Teaching Math Problem Solving Using a Web-based Tutoring System, Learning Games, and Students’ Writing http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/356829 522/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/2?acc ountid=32521

Robert W. Maloy, Sharon A. Edwards,

& Gordon Anderson

Journal of STEM

Education

Journal Article

Jan-Jun 2010

In this article, the authors’ describe a web-based math tutoring system called “4MALITY.” The system was used by 4th graders and their teachers in three different school districts during 2007-2008. The system proved a success as 70% of the students improved their math skills.

Sites to Help Teach Math & Science http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/224887 131/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/3?acc ountid=32521

Joanne Troutner

Newspaper Column

April 2010

This newspaper column provides a list of resources for finding a wide range of interactive learning games. All of the sources listed are supposed to help students improve their learning skills for the first part of the school year. All of them engage learners of all ages.

A Study on Exploiting Commercial Digital Games into School Context http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/128702 4883/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/4?ac countid=32521

Hercules Panoutsopoulos & Demetrios G. Sampson

Educational

Technology & Society

Article

2012

This is another study that was done providing evidence that general purpose commercial digital games increase student learning skills, and also have the potential to provide solid learning experiences for both abstract concepts and real world situations.

Literature Review Matrix 4

Teaching to Strengths: Engaging Young Boys in Learning http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/132625 4026/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/5?ac countid=32521

Cynthia Johnson

& Shauna Gooliaff

Reclaiming

Children and Youth

Article

Winter 2013

This article mainly focuses on boys, and how they often lag behind girls when being taught certain skills. The authors’ claim that boys progress quicker and are able to keep up with the girls when taught lessons by using more interactive games, (e.g. building with LEGO bricks, using play dough, and interacting with small toys)

Step 3:

Based on currency, credibility, authority, and academic integrity, the sources I chose

from the two tables above are Teaching Math Problem Solving Using a Web-based Tutoring

System, Learning Games, and Students’ Writing, from the Ashford Library, and Learning Math

Through Video Games. An Interview with Keith Devlin, from the Google search.

In the article Teaching Math Problem Solving Using a Web-based Tutoring System,

Learning Games, and Students’ Writing, I found that the subjects used in the study were 4th

grade students, and are close in age to the group I plan to use in my own study. I also liked that

4th graders were used from three different school districts instead of just one, which to me is

more realistic as it will cover a more diverse group of students. For this reason I’ve decided to

use 7th and 8th graders from two different middle schools in my study. It wasn’t surprising to

find out that the results showed a drastic increase in the students’ learning and understanding of

math by the use of a web-based tutoring system. I was actually very pleased to see the results.

Reading this study influenced my decision to use 7th and 8th graders for my subjects, because this

is typically the time when kids are first introduced to algebra.

Literature Review Matrix 5

From my search through Google I found the blog, Learning Math Through Video Games,

very insightful as it contains actual interviews with Dr. Keith Devlin. Dr. Devlin is a

mathematician who has done extensive research over the years on using computer games for

learning new math skills, and he also seems to be a wealth of knowledge. He is the founder of an

online game studio called “Innertube Games,” and what surprised me was how many different

computer games they have actually developed. The selection covers a wide range of math topics

and also which ones are appropriate for certain age groups and skill levels. Due to watching and

listening to Dr. Devlin’s interviews, I will be able to adjust the specific kinds of computer games

used specifically for 7th and 8th grade algebra courses. His interviews also gave me inspiration as

to the many positive results students are gaining from his game studio.

References

• Dragon Box Algebra. Retrieved from http://www.dragonboxapp.com/

Literature Review Matrix 6

• Johnson, C., Gooliaff, S. (2013). Teaching to Strengths: Engaging Young Boys in Learning. Reclaiming Children and Youth. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/1326254026/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/5?accountid=32521

• Long, K. (2013). Computer Games + Math = fun and learning in schools. The Seattle Times. Retrieved from http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021661306_seriousgamesxml.html

• Maloy, R.W., Edwards, S.A., Anderson, G. (2010). Teaching Math Problem Solving Using a Web-Based Tutoring System, Learning Games, and Students’ Writing. Journal of STEM Education. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/356829522/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/2?accountid=32521

• Math Mirror. Learning Math Through Video Games. An Interview with Keith Devlin. Retrieved from http://www.mathmirror.org/perspectives/entry/learning-math-through- video-gamesan-interview-with-keith-devlin/

• Panoutsopoulos, H., Sampson, D.G. (2012). A Study on Exploiting Commercial Digital Games into School Context. Educational Technology & Society. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/1287024883/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/4?accountid=32521

• Pronovost, R. (2014). Differentiating in Math Using Computer Games. The Teaching Channel. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/differentiating-in- math

• Shapiro, J. (Aug. 29, 2013). Video Games Are The Perfect Way To Teach Math, Says Stanford Mathematican. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/2013/08/29/video-games-are-the-perfect-way- to-teach-math-says-stanford-mathematician

• Sunha, K., Chang, M. (2010). Computer Games for the Math Achievement of Diverse Students. Educational Technology & Society. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/1287037266/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/1?accountid=32521

• Troutner, J. (2010). Sites to Help Teach Math & Science. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/224887131/7FE38073250F4DF4PQ/3?accountid=32521