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Use of Narrative: Gender Differences and Implications for Motivation and Learning in a Math Game

Use of Narrative: Gender Differences and Implications for Motivation and Learning in a Math Game. Sarah Joy Bittick and Gregory K.W.K. Chung. California Educational Research Association Annual Meeting CERA Session 4 Day 2, Special Topics. Learning Games.

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Use of Narrative: Gender Differences and Implications for Motivation and Learning in a Math Game

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  1. Use of Narrative: Gender Differences and Implications for Motivation and Learning in a Math Game Sarah Joy Bittick and Gregory K.W.K. Chung California Educational Research AssociationAnnual Meeting CERA Session 4 Day 2, Special Topics

  2. Learning Games • Center for Advanced Technology in Schools • Department of Education funded project on math learning games • Current study: impact of using narrative • Narrative = story with defined goal

  3. Session Goals • Introduction to previous work—narrative in educational contexts • Demonstration of math learning game • Discuss integration of narrative into math game • Present findings—how narrative impacted student motivation and learning

  4. Motivation (flow) • Concept of flow, presence in virtual environments • Experience of feeling “lost” in an activity (Csikszentmihalyi 1990) • Feeling of “being there” in games (Schneider 2004)

  5. Narrative in Games • Students experience higher feelings of “presence” in games with narrative (Park et al. 2010) • commercial game, Max Payne.

  6. Application to Learning Games • How can this be applied to learning games? • Learning increases with increased flow experience (Skadberg & Kimmel 2004; Webster et al. 1993)

  7. Hypothesis 1: Narrative • The presence of a narrative in a math learning game will increase • Part A: …students’ motivation and engagement • Part B: ….learning compared to students receiving a game with no narrative.

  8. Gender and Narrative • Narratives in games polarizing to some • Stereotyping—gender and ethnicity (Cooper et al. 1990 ; Moreno & Flowerday 2006) • Gender • Females stressed and disinterested—competition and aggression in videogame (Funk & Buchman 1996) • Disinterest and anxiety—decreased performance (Tobias 1994; Pekrun 1992)

  9. Hypothesis 2: Gender • When student’s gender is matched with the game’s narrative themes and avatar: • Part A: …motivation and engagement will be higher • Part B: …will result in increased math learning

  10. The Game—Save Patch • Fractions game • Character = Patch

  11. Game Flow and Terminology “Stage” “Level” Instruction (Tutorial) Practice (Game play)

  12. Meet the Characters Evil Skull Puppet Male Patch Sister Female Patch

  13. Narrative 1: Masculine Theme • Narrative created based on general themes found to be interesting and motivating by males in videogame study (Cooper et al.) • Aggression (violence/fight), competition

  14. Narrative 2: Feminine Theme • Narrative created based on general themes found to be interesting and motivating by females in videogame study (Cooper et al.) • Cooperative, focus on interpersonal relationships, non-aggressive

  15. Game Flow and Terminology “Stage” “Level” Instruction (Tutorial) Practice (Game play) Narrative screens: 7 points Narrative screens: 4 points

  16. Control: No narrative • No gender specification of Patch • No story line or defined goal

  17. Research Design and Sample • A 3-group design: a) masculine narrative, b) feminine narrative, and c) no narrative. • Random assignment • 62 in masculine, 68 in feminine, and 47 in no narrative (N=177 total). • Grades 6-12 in 6thgrade math - algebra. • Gender matching variable

  18. Instruments and Process • Math pretest and math & game play survey (15 mins) • Game play (~45 mins) • Students play their version of Save Patch • Posttest (~15 mins) • Similar to pretest + game specific math questions

  19. Instruments and Process Cont’d • Game experience survey (~5-10 mins) • Narrative survey (<5 mins) • Background survey (<5 mins)

  20. Measures of Math Knowledge • Pretest items • α=.91, N=167, M=11.67, SD=5.13 • Posttest items • Same as pretest • α=.89, N=160, M=11.82, SD=5.12 • Game specific posttest items • α=.91, N=155, M=5.21, SD=2.70 • Normalized change (N=160, M=.03, SD=.22)

  21. Game engagement (flow) • Willingness to replay, 10 items • α=.94, n=160 • Negative perception of game challenge, 4 items • α=.70, n=170 • Experience of Flow, 7 items • α=.89, n=163

  22. Narrative Perception • Interest in narrative, 4 items • α=.84, n=176 • Game self-efficacy, 7 items • α=.82, n=169 • Open-ended item • Positive and negative perception

  23. Findings from Use of Narrative

  24. Gender Distribution • Even distribution across gender and condition:

  25. Hypothesis 1A: Narrative will increase engagement • Finding: experience of flow was higher for students in narrative conditions than for those in no narrative condition, t(161) = 2.0, p=.05

  26. Hypothesis 1B: Narrative will increase math learning • Findings • Unexpected—higher normalized change for masculine • ANCOVA controlling for pretest, showed that students in the no narrative and feminine narrative scored lower on game specific math items than those in masculine narrative, F(2, 146)=3.00, p=.05.

  27. Hypothesis 2A: Matching will increase engagement • Masculine narrative: • “I wanted to reach the end because I liked Patch and the skull puppet so I wanted to see what would happen if puppets fought.” • “The game was pretty boring after awhile.”

  28. Open-ended Student Responses • Feminine narrative: • “I wanted to get to the end of the game to see what was going to happen to Patch and to see if she could rescue her sister.” • “I didn't care because it got a little boring because all you did was fractions and Patch looked weird and no action.”

  29. Open-ended Student Responses • No narrative: • “The game was really enjoyable yet hard and frustrating to play. I liked it.” • “Because I'm competitive at games and wanted to win.”

  30. Hypothesis 2A: Matching will increase engagement • Reponses to open-ended item: • Matched males responded more positively to the game than those that were not, c2 (1, N = 122) = 4.88, p = .04

  31. Hypothesis 2B: Matching will increase learning • Males perform best in masculine condition • Matched male predictor of game specific posttest performance • Matched females not predictor b = 0.420, t(143) = 16.58 p < .013

  32. Future Directions

  33. Implications • Narrative can increase student engagement and learning in math game • Not all narratives will be beneficial to student learning • Masculine narrative > feminine here • Certain narratives impact students differently • Males in masculine narrative experienced higher learning

  34. Limitations and Future Questions • Integrate narrative and content • Why did students perform lower when given feminine narrative? • Girls accustomed to playing male oriented games?

  35. Acknowledgements • Dr. Gregory K.W.K Chung • Rebecca E. Buschang • Girlie Delacruz • Alan Koenig • Joanne Michiuye • UCLA/USC game design team

  36. Sarah Joy Bittick bittick@cse.ucla.edu

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