Learn Hard, Play Hard: A Study on the Effects of an Educational Video Game

Video games (VG) are an integral part of American as well as global culture. The global video game market is expected to be worth over $90 billion by 2020. In the United States it is estimated that there are over 1 million concurrent viewers of live video gaming events. It is also estimated that 64% of the general United States population are gamers, and this number is only increasing. Video game players represent a diverse cross section of the American population, spanning every age gender and ethnicity. Interestingly, more than 75% of video game players surveyed reported that the video games provided them with mental stimulation as well as a means of relaxation and stress relief. VGs have also been praised for being enjoyable and have been shown to improve cognitive functions such as memory, attention, visuospatial acuity and overall well-being. New investigations suggest that VG may prove to make an excellent method for learning. The aim of this study was to examine the creation of a new VG, designed to teach a foreign language, to demonstrate how playing can be used to teach. This study sought to investigate whether a VG design utilizing a flash card technique would allow for learning as well obtain the other benefits of VG. The experimental VG was created to be enjoyable, motivating and to provide instant feedback while allowing for safe failure, risk-taking and learning. The Unity Player was used with all original scripts to produce a first-person view, maze exploration game that was challenging, fun, easy for non-gamers to use, yet still interesting for veteran gamers with an effective capacity for learning. While a major goal of this game was to augment learning, it was equally important to make an enjoyable experience as well. A study was performed in the form of a single blind fashion to test the effectiveness of the game. Union students ages 18 and 22 were randomized to VG versus standard flash-card learning of Czech vocabulary. From the self-reported video game hours played, there was no difference in video game experience between the experimental or control groups. The participants who played the novel VG were found to have learned the words as well as those using the traditional flash card method, however, those who played the game enjoyed themselves more than the traditional learners. Thus, VG learning is a great way to learn material while having a good time. Overall, the game was fun to play and was as effective as traditional learning.