An ex post facto exploratory case study was conducted at ABC University to examine the
difference in academic achievement between students who use video games in learning and those
who do not, while also looking at differences of gender, ethnicity, and age. A video game was
added to half the classes teaching management to 3rd year students. Identical testing situations
and materials were used while data collected included who did and did not play the game,
student test scores, class number, gender, ethnicity, and age. Means tests, ANOVA, Chi-squared,
and t tests were used to test the effectiveness of game use.
Classes using the game scored significantly higher means those classes that did not.
There were no significant differences between genders, while both genders scored significantly
higher with game play. There were no significant differences between ethnicities, while all
ethnic groups scored significantly higher with game play. However, students 40 years and below
scored significantly higher with game play, while students 41 and older did not.
The implications for social change are enormous. Such dramatic increases in student
learning could lead to simulation and games as standard teaching tools in most curriculum areas.
If game-based learning further proves to increase learning as shown in this study, America’s
educational system faces a revolution in learning.