Tina M. Fanetti
M. S. in Physics, August 2005, University of Missouri-St. Louis.
M. S. in Astrophysics, May 2001, Iowa State University.
B. S. in Physics, May 1998, University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The Effect of Problem-Solving Video Games on the Science Reasoning Skills of College Students

Abstract

As the world rapidly changes, students are faced with the need to develop flexible skills, such as science reasoning that will help them thrive in the new knowledge economy. Prensky (2001), Gee (2003), and Van Eck (2007) have all suggested the way to engage learners and teach them the necessary skills is through digital games, but empirical studies focusing on popular games are scant. Digital games have the potential to be useful if there were a flexible, inexpensive technology that college students could use at their convenience to improve their science reasoning skills. Problem-solving video games, video games that require the use of reasoning and problem solving to reason out a variety of cognitive challenges to win the game, are an ideal type of game to improve science reasoning skills. Using think-aloud protocols and interviews, a qualitative study was carried out with a small sample of college students to examine the impact two popular video games had on science reasoning skills. The subject classified as an expert in both gaming and reasoning tended to use more higher order thinking and reasoning skills than the novice reasoners. Overall, the impact of playing video games on science reasoning was mixed, with the results supporting those found in earlier studies.

Defense of Dissertation Committee