Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Selected effects of a computer game on achievement, attitude, and graphing ability in secondary school algebra

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  • The hypotheses of this study stated the following: Interaction with the computer game will significantly increase the class means in: (1) mathematical achievement, (2) attitudes toward mathematics, and (3) graphing ability in high school advanced algebra. ALGEBRA ARCADE is a computerized simulation game played on a coordinate grid. One can play against one's self or another player. Greater knowledge of graphing functions results in a higher score. The game closely resembles commercially marketed videogames. Eleven teachers, at seven high schools, each taught a control and an experimental class. Four hundred twenty-three students took both attitude tests and four hundred twenty-five students took both achievement tests. Students were pretested and posttested with selected scales from the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics attitudes Scales and equivalent forms of the Intermediate Algebra portion of the Descriptive Tests of Mathematics Skills (College Board) to measure mathematical achievement. Graphing ability was measured by the score on the Coordinate Plane and Graphing part of the Intermediate Algebra test. The experiment lasted four weeks and centered around the Quadratic Functions unit. The experimental group played ALGEBRA ARCADE in lieu of the in-class assignment during the 15-20 minutes at the end of class. The out-of-class assignment was the same. Analysis revealed: (1) a significant difference, at the .08 level, in- change of class means on mathematical achievement favoring use of the computer game, (2) very little difference (p=.38) in the change of class means on attitudes toward mathematics, and (3) a significant difference, at the .005 level, in change of class means on graphing ability favoring the use of the computer game. Analysis of the other parts of the Intermediate Algebra test and the specific attitude scales revealed no significant differences; however, a negative trend was noted in the areas of Solving Equations and Inequalities and Effectance Motivation in Mathematics.
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