Benefit #2: Hands-On Learning

Also, learning a musical instrument is a “hands-on” type of learning. Children with ADHD or children with concentration problems will learn more effectively in this way. It's been scientifically proven that we learn better through hands-on interaction and engagement when compared to reading a book or listening to a teacher in the classroom.

Benefit #3: Relaxation

Another benefit that learning a musical instrument does for a hyperactive child or one with ADHD is relaxation. Music naturally relaxes us. There are certain types of music that can lower heart rate and blood pressure in a natural way. In fact, music therapy is being used more and more as a supplement to more traditional medical practices. Music styles that are taught in lessons such as classical and jazz have an enormous influence towards relaxation.

Benefit #4: Patience

And finally, patience is yet another benefit to learning a musical instrument. It is not easy to learn an instrument, and by overcoming small obstacles in the process of learning music will help your child later in life when more challenges arise.

Do you think that educational video games could improve your child's grades? Do you think that educational video games could teach your child “non-gaming” skills required to achieve success in life?

There is certainly a movement going on in the direction of implementing educational games into the classroom. For better or worse, it will be showing up to a classroom near you. I just don't want you to get excited just yet.

In Part 3 of this series I will discuss a third study done by the DimensionU Gaming Suite, and my reaction toward it. I will then draw a comparison to another “supplemental activity,” which is learning a musical instrument in order to give you a perspective on how to improve your child's education.

DimensionM is the Math part of a larger gaming suite called DimensionU that covers other subjects such as Science and Reading. Below is the summary of the study that DimensionU posts on their website.

Study #3: Pender County Study (UNC Wilmington)

Conducted in 2008, this study looks at the effects of DimensionM in the setting of a rural middle school of roughly 500 students, where only 63.1 percent of students were either at or above grade level on state-mandated End-of-Course testing for math. 

• Mean scores increased from 46% on the pre-test to 63% on the post-test
  
  
• Male and female students demonstrated equitable gains
  

Not bad. The results are certainly encouraging, though after reading the in-depth report, I was not as excited as I was when looking at the summary above.  

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover

Just like the other two studies from Parts 1 and 2, this summary is very misleading. They make it sound like they did the study on 500 students. Look above again. Isn't that how you interpret the first sentence of the study? In actuality, they did the study on 34 students as it states in the full report. Is it me, or is that a big difference? I don't know about you, but I don't like being misled.

The truth is that out of 500 students in that particular middle school, only 63.1% of the students were at or above grade level in their end-of-year exams in Math. However, the gaming study was experimented on only 34 of the 500 students. In the full report, these 34 students were all below-average in Math.

Now, let's look at the first bullet point of the study above. Just like in Part 1, I don't like the use of the word “mean.” The word sounds too scientific and covers up the real meaning of the point. Instead of “mean scores,” I would prefer “average scores” in this context. We're not looking at any complex data here. It's simply the average pre-test scores of the children before they began the “remediation course” or “gaming course” which I prefer to use.

It's also important to reiterate that the students who participated in the study were below-average students with failing grades in Math. So certainly, there would be plenty of room for improvement by having an hour of “supplemental” activities every week for 7 weeks as the full report states. The results were that the average pre-test score went from 46% which is clearly a failing grade, to a 63% which is also a failing grade, though greatly improved.

The second bullet point is true and backed up in the report. Both boys and girls improved equally on average.  

So What Else Is Wrong About This Study?

There are still some “unknowns” about this study and educational video games in general. One is, (and the full report acknowledges), that we still don't know what the results would be of the games on standardized test scores. A second unanswered question is, How would the skills attained through educational gaming be useful in non-gaming situations? And thirdly, What are the cognitive processes used to employ these games and how can they be or could be applied to develop other academic and life skills?

I have one more big question about these games, since they claim to have an instructional component to them. DimensionM has an instructional section where students can go to in order to learn the material necessary to move on to the next level in the adventure. They must master the material to advance forward in the game.

I would like to know, if the game asks the exact same question in every level, so that the student can guess and use the process of elimination in order to move to the next level. If that's the case, what are the students actually learning? They would just be memorizing answers if this is the case. Unfortunately, I don't have the answer because there is no information regarding this issue in the full report.  

Is This An Attack On Educational Video Games?

If you've read this far and have read Parts 1 and 2 of this series, you may infer that I'm attacking DimensionM and other educational video games.

I am not attacking educational video games in general. I am personally in favor of some supplemental activity to improve test scores. Clearly, scores can improve with the implementation of this game. What I am attacking, is the misleading studies that put this game and others in a more favorable light than they should be.

I would like to know if this game would improve the already above-average students' grades in Math. I would like to know if this game can only improve a failing students grades to barely passable levels, or can it make a good student “great.” I'm thinking about how our students can compete with rest of the world and not just trying to help the below-average ones.

What is the difference between two students that take the same exact class with the same teacher and one fails and the other gets an A? Is it about the parents and the home environment, or something neurological or chemical? Can gaming solve all of these problems?

A New Interactive World

The full report also claims that most students are surrounded by 6 hours of interactive media everyday and are evolving into learning only with interactive media. I have a very hard time accepting this. Where is the child getting 6 hours of media from? At home? Well, the parents need to limit that time, moderate it, and control it ferociously.

I don't know of any geniuses or great minds throughout history that have developed their intellect by playing educational video games. The intelligence of mankind has not “evolved” with the advent of gaming.  

An Ancient Interactive Tool For Learning

I get frustrated sometimes when I see the excitement when a new technology emerges that makes life just a little bit easier. Though I see the benefits and potential for educational video games, my view is that we already have an activity that we can use not only as an outside-of-the-classroom activity, but one that already has the scientific data and countless brilliant minds that have made use of it to their benefit.

I'm talking about learning a musical instrument, and learning how to play and read music. If you've ready my articles about Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo, Albert Einstein and Steven Spielberg, then you know that music has an enormous impact on the development of an intelligent mind.

Below are three case studies and their summarized results found in three nationally recognized research organizations.

• The Journal For Research In Music Education In 2007 Found That Elementary School Students In Top-Quality Music Programs Scored 22% Higher In English And 20% Higher In Mathematics Than Their Non-Musical Peers. June 2007; Dr. Christopher Johnson, Jenny Memmott

• The American Chemical Society Found That Nearly 100% Of Past Winners In The Prestigious Siemens Westinghouse Competition (High School Students) In Science, Math, And Technology Played One Or More Musical Instruments. The Midland Chemist (American Chemical Society) Vol. 42, No.1, Feb. 2005
  

• In A National Report By The College Board Documented That Students Of Music Continue To Outperform Their Non-Arts Peers On The SAT. In 2006, Students Of Music Performance/Music Coursework Scored 57 Points Higher On The Verbal And 43 Points Higher On The Math Parts Of The SAT. The College Board, Profile of College-Bound Seniors National Report for 2006
  

The Differences Between Learning Music & Educational Video Games

If you read the summaries above, you may be thinking, “well, you just gave us the summary of the results just like DimensionM did and you didn't go into the full in-depth report.” That's true. And that's why I listed my sources at the end of each study for you to read yourself. I encourage you to read the studies and see for yourself. However, I don't know of too many people who would refute the cognitive benefits of music education. If anything, there are many people that are unaware of the benefits.

Below you will see two lists: one that summarizes just some of the scientific data found on the affects of studying music, and the other that summarizes the data found in the DimensionM study above.

Students Of All Grades/Abilities Involved In Music Education

• 22% Higher Test Scores in English
  
  
• 20% Higher Test Scores in Math
  
  
• Nearly 100% of winners in Science Competitions
  
  
• Score 57 points higher on Verbal SAT
  
  
• Score 43 points higher on Math SAT
  

Below-Average Students Involved With DimensionM Educational Video Games

• No Data found for Test Scores in English
  
  
• 17% Higher Test Scores in Math
  
  
• No Data found for winners in Science Competitions
  
  
• No Data found for affects on SAT scores
  

Am I Being Unfair?

I will admit that I was a little unfair towards the DimensionM study because I compared several studies of music against one study of an educational video game. But, if you read Parts 1 and 2 of this series, you will have understood the pattern of the DimensionM case studies. All three studies were done on only below-average students while the music case studies were done on students of NOT just below-average students, but of all averages high and low.

I would also add that the music case studies were done by independent organizations that had no product that they were trying to sell. There was no special interest. On the other hand, the gaming studies using DimensionM were done by the same company trying to market its own product. Certainly, the facts would be sugar-coated. There's no other way to see it.  

Parents & Teachers: The One Thing You Should Take Away From This Article

Over the course of three articles, I have basically weakened the merits of DimensionU, one of the leading educational video games in the market. If this game or another is available to your child as a supplemental activity to help raise poor test scores, I would do it. Yes, I said to do it. It can't hurt as long as it remains “supplemental.”

I would highly recommend that you try to get your child started in learning a musical instrument as soon as possible. The reason is because it takes time to develop the cognitive skills that come from learning music that will then translate to good grades and academic enthusiasm. The sooner the better.

Also, the benefits of learning music are more scientifically conclusive than educational games. I would not get too excited or fixated on the idea that video games can improve your child's test scores in Math. Games have a long way to go before they can compete with music.

Technology cannot solve all of our problems!

The long term benefits of a music education are too long to list in this article. If you want to learn more, I have written many articles about the effects of music education on the mind.  

There is so much gaming hype going on in the world and it has invaded the education system for better and worse. Clearly the system is trying to find solutions to the epidemic of sub-par grades in Math, Science And Reading. I'm just not sure that educational video games are the solution. This is the second part of a 3-part series and we will be discussing in depth about another study done using the DimensionM game, which is the Math part of the DimensionU Gaming Suite. 

Case Study #2: Where's The Full Report?

A Broward County Study showed an average pre-post test improvement was 82.7% and 75% of students who used DimensionM received a passing grade in the course versus 35.5% of students who did not use DimensionM.

For the second study, I had to do some more research. Clearly, the increase in test scores and the increase of passing grades is remarkable. What I discovered is that this study was used on a group of rising 7th and 8th graders in a “Math Recovery Program” in the summer. This means that these were students with very poor grades in Math and therefore had a huge potential for increasing test scores.

Indeed, I am please with the results. These were young students whose scores were very below average and 75% of the ones that played the DimensionM games raised their test scores to “passing” levels as opposed to only 35% of the non-gaming students reached passing grades. I applaud the increase.

As I continued to look for the “full report” on the study to gather more details, I learned that there is no full report. At least, not one that could be found anywhere on DimensionU's website or anywhere else online. I was a bit disappointed because all I could find were the highlights of the study. This makes me feel a bit skeptical at best.

The first set of figures are also somewhat unclear. It says that “pre-post test improvement was 82.7%.” Does that mean that on average, the students' scores were 82.7% higher after having used the game? Or does it mean that 82.7% of students “improved” their test scores? I will assume the statement relates to the second question. If it's true that 82.7% of students improved their scores, then, by how much? The study doesn't say. It only states that 75% of students received a “passing grade.” So 3 out of ever 4 students passed and could continue on to the next Math level for the coming school year.

I wonder, how many of the students had failing grades, and then were able to raise their grades to a “D” range which would consider that a passing grade? The study doesn't answer this question. Is it safe to assume that at least some of those below-average students went from an F in Math to a D? Sure, in the 3 weeks, I would consider that an improvement too.

Now All The Schools Want To Play Games

For the schools that have the budget want to invest in the DimensionU Gaming Suite. Why? Because the goal of schools is to minimize the amount of failing students as much as possible. It makes their stats look bad. The schools want to implement this technology into the classroom and use it as a teaching tool hoping that more students will achieve passing grades.  

When Did Mediocrity Become Acceptable?

No where in this study does it even hint that with this technology we could possibly beat China, Japan, India, or many other countries in Math, Science, and Reading test scores. The study doesn't hint at it, because it's not possible! This study implies that everyone's test scores will rise if used in the classroom. The facts aren't there. Everyone is getting so excited that their failing students will achieve mediocrity at best. Wow! Let's all clap our hands. We'll have more mediocre students to compete against the superior students of Math, Science, and Language in other parts of the world.

Certainly, we must help our failing students. I'm not attacking them. We should do whatever is necessary increase their skills. One idea I have for struggling students is give them

the opportunity to participate in this gaming system after school. The games will give them an opportunity for more repetition in order to absorb the material that was taught in class. I just don't want to see entire class periods focused on educational video games.

I'm not against educational games, but I don't want the excitement for this technology, (just like any other new technology), to be implemented in such a way that it become a crutch for learning. Most of the students that participated in the study, said that they would like to have the DimensionU gaming suite in the classroom next year.

Does Learning Always Have To Be Fun?

For the last twenty years or so, I've been hearing that if learning could be done in a fun way, then why not do it? I also have heard countless times that learning is supposed to be fun. Certainly, enthusiasm can help in the learning process, but I think it's a bad precedent to teach kids that learning is supposed to fun. They will grow thinking that everything is supposed to be fun. Is everything in life fun? If you're an adult reading this, then you know the answer.

Let's be realistic. Some things in life are not fun and that's OK. If everything was fun we wouldn't appreciate it. We need the “unfun” stuff in life so that we can make that comparison and therefore enjoy the fun when it comes our way. So sometimes learning is not fun, but it's part of life. We need to be challenged. Humanity did not reach this point in time with just mediocrity. We have reached this modern technological world because humanity overcame its challenges.

Our Expectations Continue To Fall

We've gone from “giving children a head start in life” to “no child left behind.” The bar is being lowered and lowered. Instead of focusing on reaching mediocrity, we need to focus on achieving superiority.  

1 Way To Achieve Greatness

Certainly technology can help us advance knowledge, improve the education of our children, and achieve greatness. The Internet is proof that young people are making great strides in intelligence since most of the knowledge of mankind is available online. How to find it is another subject entirely.

In order for young people to get the most out of the technology that is available to them is begin early on in developing the brains so that they have the capability to absorb, interpret, and apply what they learn. As I stated in Part 1, learning a musical instrument should on list of essential tools for developing intelligence. We're not talking about passing grades or mediocrity. We're talking about developing a mind that can not only absorb information, and regurgitate it, but a mind that has the capability to imagine, discover, and innovate. This type of mind will be able to produce, contribute to society, and compete with the rest of the greats minds of the world.

I want to make a reminder that we humans did not reach this point in time by learning algebra on a video game. The leisure and pleasures that we enjoy in this modern society were provide to us by intelligent minds that that were developed through hard work, dedication, and the desire to achieve something for the world that was greater that the world that was provide to them.

In Part 3, I will be discussing a third case study of the educational gaming suite, and provide factual data on the benefits of studying music in order to make a comparison of which method is better for building intelligent minds.  

Video games, video games, video games. Everyone plays video games. On the TV, on the computer, on the iPhone, iPad, and basically any device that has a screen. I see it everywhere. In New York City where I live, I see adults playing video games on their phones in the subway going to and from work. You can't text or make phone calls down in the subway, so you might as well play video games to pass the time. Or so that's the way it appears to me.

We are creating a species of the human race that have learned to spend most of its leisure time, and time in between other more important responsibilities, to playing games. What about a conversation with your neighbor, or paying attention to your surroundings, or “collecting” your thoughts? These simple aspects of life have been replaced with a new past time called gaming.

Gaming is so ubiquitous that it has already entered the education system as a technique for learning and improving student's test scores.

Gaming In The Classroom

It's not new that video games have entered the education system. But the tide has certainly turned and is beginning an uncontrollable flood into our classrooms. Children are growing up in a supposedly high tech classroom in which they are going to be increasingly more and more surrounded by games. It seems like it's the only thing that grabs their attention these days, so the education system has decided to go with the flow and bring gaming into the classroom.

One gaming system in particular, DimensionU Educational Game Suite, created by Tabulus Digita, has made enormous strides in entering the education system and has achieved some attractive results. Or so it seems...

This article will be a 3-part series discussing the results of three different studies done using the DimensionU game suite on students K-12.

Study #1: Increased Test Scores And A Play On Words

-A University of Central Florida study found that students who played the games demonstrated greater gain scores from pre-test to post-test (mean increase of 8.07) than students who did not play the game (mean increase of 3.74);

I support any technique that increases Math scores. Certainly, these below-average students need as much help as they can get. What I fear, is that they will only learn “how to learn” with video games. I don't want video games to become a replacement to other forms of learning that are effective but necessarily in vogue. Plus, technology has already proven to make us lazy. Do we want to teach laziness in the classroom too?

How has mankind expanded knowledge through the millennia? From learning math fundamentals through a video game system? Let's not forget how we all arrived to this point in history. It was because some really smart people contributed ideas to society that we now get to enjoy in this modern civilization that we habitat. These “smart people” weren't born with intelligence, they developed it through work and study.

Where Are The Hard Facts To Backup Gaming In School?I will also mention that it has been difficult to get hard numerical data for the benefits of gaming on test scores in Math, Reading, and Science. We are still in its infancy. Let's move forward carefully, skeptically, and deliberately. We want to remain mindful that the well-being of future generations is at stake here.

There's Another Solution That Few Want To Pay Attention To

We're searching for solutions in technology for all of our problems including our education system. Well, there is a solution that has been in existence for thousands of years and its benefits can easily be traced as far back as the Renaissance Period.

The solution is to learn a musical instrument. Learning how to read and play music does not break down math and reading into separate video games to learn each subject or task one and a time. Learning music stimulates both left and right hemispheres of the brain at the same time, which accelerates the building of mathematical and linguistic intelligences. I've been reading about how video games improve multi-tasking skills which is great, but, music has been doing this for hundreds of years. It just doesn't have the “sexy” appeal of newer, more technological ways.

In Part 2 of this article, I will discuss in more detail the second study of DimensionU on students' test scores, and also begin to compare the results of studying music on test scores, using hard facts and numerical data to make a clearer comparison.

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