Using the Nintendo DS in the Classroom

What do Jedward, Ant & Dec and Jamie Redknapp have in common - apart from their unceasing presence on television being increasingly difficult to tolerate?! They are part of an ever-growing number of so-called celebrities who have zealously endorsed Nintendo DS consoles in those television advertisements. Thanks to its welcoming interface, appeal to non-gamers, varied software catalogue and, of course, intensive advertising this small hand-held console has exploded in popularity over the last few years to become a global gaming phenomenon. With practically every child in the country in the possession of one, it was only a matter of time before they infiltrated our classrooms!

Gaming and Education

There is an increasing acceptance of the importance of ICT in primary schools, with a variety of applications now imbedded in mainstream practice (Condie & Munro, 2007). In recent years initiatives have included the use of laptops, interactive white boards, hand-held computers and the internet. Furthermore, the use of games-based applications in the classroom has been receiving more and more attention. Despite concerns about the use of computer games by children (Byron, 2008) there is growing interest in the potential of Commercial-of-the-Shelf games (COTS) for learning in schools. Theorists have proposed a number of arguments in favour of the use of COTS

in terms of knowledge gains, skill development, motivational aspects and cultural relevance issues (Kirriemuir & McFarlane, 2004). Despite this, the evidence of their educational value is neither extensive nor robust (Condie & Munro, 2007).

Gaming has become popular as it provides users with an opportunity to immerse themselves in

an interesting, challenging and often fantastical activity (Malone, 1981, Amory, 1988). People of

all ages, but most notably children, play these games, often spending long periods of time in total

concentration to the amazement and occasional concern of observing adults. Two fundamental

questions have regularly been posed in relation to digital games:

(i) Gaming takes up large periods of time, which could be spent on more

worthwhile activities, such as education and learning. Therefore, how is it

possible to redirect children from video games towards these activities?

(ii) Gaming actually promotes levels of attention and concentration that teachers,

parents and policy makers wished children applied to learning (Kirriemuir &

McFarlane, 2004).

Therefore, what can the education sector learn and use from these games in order to ‘enhance’

the learning process (Kirriemuir & McFarlane, 2004)? According to a recent paper by the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), when developed correctly and used appropriately,

games can engage players in learning that is specifically applicable to school curriculum—and

teachers can leverage the learning in these games without disrupting the worlds of either "play"

or school.

The Scottish Study

One study recently investigated the possible effects of a COTS game on children’s learning. In

2008, Learning and Teaching Scotland in association with University of Dundee reported on an

innovative project in which they examined the potential for educational benefits of Nintendo DS

use. They used a particular application in 32 different schools. The results of the tests can be

summarized as follows:

Both groups displayed improvements in mathematical attainment scores, but the

mean gain in the experimental group was approximately 50% greater than that of

the control group.

In terms of numbers correct, the less competent children tended to improve more

than the more able children

In terms of speed of processing, the mean improvement in the experimental group

was more than twice that of the control group.

There was a slight but statistically significant improvement in attitude towards

school in the experimental group.

Teachers noted an improvement in truancy and punctuality levels in some classes,

and improvements in personal attitudes among pupils.

Children believed that they were ‘smarter’ as a result of using the game.

Our Study

In light of these impressive outcomes we decided to investigate if the use of these devices would

produce similar results among the children in our school (DEIS Band 1 status). After equipping

ourselves with a set of Nintendo DS consoles and weighing up a variety of DS applications, we

decided to use the Maths Training application in fourth class, and More Brain Training in sixth

class.

Dr Kawashima’s More Brain Training Game sequels the original Brain Training and comprises

a variety of puzzles that primarily involve mental calculations and memorisation. At regular

intervals players complete a ‘brain-age check’, which provides feedback to the individual about

his or her speed and accuracy in tasks similar to those practised.

The foundation of Dr Kageyama’s Maths Training is 100 square calculations, a method

conceived by Kageyama Hidea, a Japanese elementary school principal. The DS is held side-

ways, like a book and all answers are written using the stylus. The key principal of the software

is repetition which according to Hidea stimulates the brain. The main exercise, ‘100 Cells

Maths’, consists of 100 simple numeracy problems combined into a 10 by 10 grid using the

numbers at the top and side of the grid. There are however many other exercises, ranging from

simple one digit math problems to slightly more complex three digit challenges.

From an educational perspective, what these two approaches have in common is reference to

work in the area of neurophysiology and an associated belief in cognitive stimulation to enhance

the learning process.

What we did

In each grade there were three mainstream classes. One of the classes in each grade used the

relevant application for a nine week period for approximately 25 minutes every day. All three

classes in each grade were given the same mathematical attainment tests before and after the trial

period. Moreover, as per school policy, all of the pupils sat the appropriate Drumcondra

Mathematic and English tests for their level. The children worked independently: although it is

possible for children to collaborate and play against each other via the DS wireless capabilities,

the majority of the usage involved children working individually.

What we found

(a) Teacher-designed Maths tests

In 6th class all three classes made small improvements, but the improvements

in the experimental group were approximately 10% higher than the control

group.

In 4th class all three groups scored higher in the second tests (more noticeably

than the 6th class pupils) and the greatest improvement, although not

statistically significant, was with the experimental.

These results failed to replicate the findings of the Scottish study but were nonetheless

encouraging.

(b) Drumcondra tests

In 6th class Maths, relative to their peers, the Nintendo group scored

substantially better. The average gain in the experimental group was 6

percentile points higher than in the control group. In 6th class English the

results were fundamentally duplicated. The mean gain in the experimental

group was 4 percentile points higher than in the control group. In summary,

there were substantial gains in the control group in both Maths and English

attainment scores relative to their peers.

In 4th class Maths, almost every pupil in the Nintendo group improved their

score in comparison with the previous year. While the scores in the control

group, in comparison with the previous year’s results, were very much the

same, this was not the case with the experimental group: the average increase

was more than 10 percentile points.

In 4th class English, over 75% of the pupils in the Nintendo group improved

their scores. There was an average increase of 5 percentile points,

significantly higher than that of the control group.

Several positive messages emerged from these investigations. Naturally, we were delighted to

see that the intervention not only improved scores on the designed tests but also positively

impacted results in the standardized tests. We believe, based on these effects, that, undoubtedly

there is substantial educational potential to be found in the structured use of particular DS

applications at school. The results and observations from staff members reflect research findings

which are consistent in illustrating that across disciplines, educational games are beneficial to

students because they can address different learning styles or preferences, provide immediate

feedback, increase student motivation, and enhance a student’s overall learning experience, all of

which increase the chance of a positive learning outcome for the student (Randel et al., 1992). In

addition, it appears that the children’s memory, concentration, application levels and abilities to

focus and persevere may also have improved as a direct result of the intervention. Hence, the

progression of scores in both Maths and English standardized tests, despite the fact that the

predominant activity involved in the trialed games was logical-mathematical based.

Needless to say, as a consequence of this investigation, the usage of DS consoles has been

expanded to include the entire 4th, 5th and 6th class population, with the Maths Training, Brain

Training and More Brain Training software being used respectively.

Extending the Initiative

As part of further development of the original study, pupils in 5th class are now given the

opportunity to borrow an educational application for their DS for one week at a time. This

happens during regular library sessions where the children borrow a book plus a DS game. There

are currently over 70 different games (multiple copies of at least 12 applications), all of which

have been evaluated by school staff, and have been found to contain clear educational content.

The range of available titles is updated on a regular basis, as new titles become available and are

evaluated. Some of the more popular applications existing in our DS catalogue include:

Nintendo DS Flips

Flips is a new innovative range of books created especially for the Nintendo DS. This resource

allows children to read and interact with a variety of popular books with their DS console. The

actual stories are unchanged; however they’re made more interesting and appealing by using

interactive sections to keep the most reluctant of readers engaged and reading.

Nintendo DS Flips currently available in our library include:

Mr. Gum – Andy Stanton

Percy Jackson – Roger Green

Artemis Fowl – Eoin Colfer

Too Ghoul for School – B.Strange

Chessmaster – The Art of Learning -The Chessmaster training programme is designed to help

players measure and improve their mental abilities, using a series of chess-related games. The

Training Programme awards a number of points for your accomplishments in mini-games,

puzzles, and Elo-rated games, and distributes these points across the three chief qualities:

analytical reasoning, focus power, and memory.

Titanic – Secrets of the Fateful Voyage - Hidden Mysteries: Titanic takes place aboard the

R.M.S. Titanic on her fateful maiden voyage. Throughout the course of the game the main

character is presented with sets of puzzles and obstacles that must be overcome to progress the

ship’s timeline.

Princess Isabella Witch’s Curse - An evil witch has placed a curse upon Princess Isabella’s

castle trapping her loved ones behind mirrored walls. Following the fairy guide, Princess Isabella

bravely enters the castle to begin piecing together clues and solving problems to save her loved

ones from the curse.

Art Academy- This a fun, portable art tutor that teaches you real-world painting and drawing

techniques. The children can take lessons with an in-game tutor on basic sketching techniques,

color mixing, and much more—all with realistic effects that simulate a real-life painting

experience.

Parents are generally always enthusiastic about their children’s education and helping them to

learn and develop as much as possible while educators are continually concerned with the age-

old problem of encouraging and getting children to read at home. Providing our pupils with

access to these applications addresses these concerns by combining the children’s enthusiasm for

video games with new interactive educational software.

Professor Layton in the Classroom

The decision has also been made to explore the educational potential of using some of the more

open-ended, problem-solving type applications in the classroom situation. At the moment

Professor Layton and the Curious Village is being used collaboratively by fifth class students.

Basically the game is used as a station, with the children working in mixed-ability groups of

three.

This game promises a rich and engaging narrative driven mystery adventure but also with

mathematical problem solving embedded throughout the game play. The appeal of this resource

is that it offers opportunities to explore literacy and numeracy development as well as other

curricular areas.

The game centres on Professor Layton and his self-styled apprentice Luke, who are investigating

the fictional village of St. Mystere. The mystery surrounds the Golden Apple, an heirloom left by

the late Baron in order to determine who will receive his fortune. The two main characters are

met with brain-teasers and puzzles at every corner. The game is attractive as it is based around:

beautifully crafted visuals and art work

an engaging storyline and intriguing characters of growing complexity

challenges, puzzles and note-taking facilities to encourage engagement with the text and

the mysteries to be solved

necessity to read and engage with the text in order to progress and succeed in the game.

What I personally like about this game is that it compels students to read. The underlying story is

multifaceted and exciting and in order to understand all of the details and connections the pupils

have to read.  Moreover, to understand the rules of the puzzles they again have to study the text

carefully. There are 130 main puzzles and 15 bonus puzzles in the game. These are mainly logic

problems where students have to reflect mathematically, think outside the box, and genuinely

discuss and analyse options and answers.

This application also allows teachers involved to use the characters, the setting and the

developing plot of the game to create a challenging, engaging and appealing project that makes

relevant connections across learning in many curricular areas.

Conclusion

Thanks to advances in technology, cheaper prices, and a growing market for video games,

children are playing video games more than ever and as they continue to permeate our culture,

schools and students are increasingly interested in using these games for learning (Stansbury,

2009). In recent years gaming technology has improved dramatically and it is clear that these

improvements may possibly be incorporated into learning environments, harnessing the skills

and knowledge embedded in video games to improve teaching instruction.

Our investigations have shown that, when developed correctly and used appropriately, games

can indeed engage players in learning that is specifically applicable to school curriculum. Using

applications such as those found on the Nintendo DS motivates pupils, produces high levels of

interest and may even enhance academic performance. It indicates that games do not need to

present a fully accurate underlying model to be of benefit for formal education and, even though

the curriculum relevance may not be overt, teachers are able to extract elements of games to

meet their educational needs.

References

Amory, A. (1998). Computer Games as a Learning Resource, Ed-Media Conference Proceedings. www.und.ac.za/und/biology/staff/amory/edmedia98.html [accessed 24/11/09]

Byron, T. (2008). Safer children in a digital world: the report of the Byron review. Department for children, schools and families. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/byronreview/pdfs/Final%20Report%20Bookmarked.pdf [accessed 24/11/09]

Condie, R. & Munro, B. (2007). The impact of ICT in schools: a landscape review. Coventry: Becta. http://partners.becta.org.uk/page_documents/research/

impact_ict_schools.pdf [accessed 24/11/09]

Kirriemuir, J. & McFarlane, A. E. (2004). Literature review in games and learning. Bristol: Futurelab. Retrieved May 20, 2009, from http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/Games_Review.pdf [accessed 24/11/09]

Malone, T (1981). Toward a theory of intrinsically motivating instruction. Cognitive Science, 4: 333-369

Randel, J. M., Morris, B. A.,Wetzel, C. D. &Whitehill, B. V. (1992). The effectiveness of games for educational purposes: a review of recent research. Simulation & Gaming, 23, 3, 261–276

Stansbury,M. (2009). Can Gaming Change Education? Bethesda: eSchoolnews.

Biography

Gerry Diver trained as a primary school teacher between 2000 -2003 in St. Patrick’s College of Education, Drumcondra, Dublin. He has been employed as a permanent teacher in Sacred Heart SNS, Killinarden, Tallaght since September 2004. He graduated with a BA (Hons) Psychology in November 2010. As part completion of the degree he has researched the potential benefits of using the Nintendo DS in the classroom, in terms of mental computation skills and self-perceptions. He has played a central part in the implementation and development of the Nintendo DS initiative in Sacred Heart SNS over the last three years.