Introducing: Sources
Below you'll find a handful of sources from different types of mediums. Consider these as beginning sources to give you a head start as you search for more. Make sure to check out the annotations, they're there to help you determine whether or not a source is a good fit for your research!
Learning by Playing by ISBN: 9780199896646Publication Date: 2014-04-07This book explores the evolving view that video games can enhance education rather than hinder it. It gathers diverse insights from experts in fields such as psychology, education, and game design in order to examine how gaming influences cognition and learning. Broken up into sections, the collection provides a foundational understanding of of the cognitive effects of video game play in children and adolescents, explores game design elements that enthrall players and promote development of skills, children and adolescent learning in different types of games and how learning is transferred to the classroom, and proposes a research agenda for future study into maximizing the educational potential of video games. Thanks to its scope of contributors, the book provides plenty of source material for academic research into this topic.
The Psychology of Video Games by Call Number: GV 1469.3 .H62 2021Part of Routledge’s The Psychology of Everything series, this book provides valuable insight into the relationship between video games and the mind. In addition to touching on the psychological impacts of video gaming, and the way psychology informs video game design, the book also has chapters that explore the ethical dilemmas present in today’s video game industry and takes a balanced approach in looking at the benefits and drawbacks of video games through a psychological lens. The book is on the shorter side, which in this case saves the reader time by allowing for a concise straight-to-the-point look at what the research says. As education and psychology go hand in hand, the information contained within this resource serves as an important foundation to the broader discussion of gaming in education. Lastly, it contains several suggestions for further reading, in addition to its numerous references, which are indispensable tools in guiding research.
The Video Game Debate by ISBN: 9781138831636Publication Date: 2015-09-01This book answers common questions posed by the media, policy makers, scholars, and the general public about the links between video games and violent/aggressive behaviors, as well as whether they can be used as tools for learning. It does so by bringing together international experts who examine the latest research in digital game studies, discussing the real physical, social, and psychological impacts of video games. Contributors provide a comprehensive overview of the gaming industry, from early moral panics to recent debates around games like Grand Theft Auto. Various topics are explored, such as risks and benefits in areas like health, education, violence, addiction, cognitive performance, and so on. Written so as to be easily understandable to any reader, The Video Game Debate serves as an good source of information in the scope of these topics.
Video Games and Well-Being by ISBN: 9783030327699Publication Date: 2019-12-19This book explores how the mechanics and narratives in video games can teach players skills that contribute to enhanced psychological well-being. By drawing on research from psychology, education, media studies, and communication science, this book explores how gameplay and narrative can foster skills such as critical thinking, open-mindedness, self-care/mindfulness, problem-solving, and resilience. Written by experts in game studies, mental health, and the video game industry itself, each chapter aims to deepen understanding of how video games can improve psychological well-being.
Video Games. (2023). Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Gale.
http://link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999329/OVIC?u=albanyu&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=4cb99f22
Part of the Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, this short article provides a concise overview of the video game industry, including its history, economic impact, and social implications. It takes a balanced approached by highlighting both the benefits that video games can offer, such as improved cognition, reflexes, and stress relief, as well as concerns about drawbacks, which include instances of cultural toxicity within gaming subculture, accessibility issues within the industry, and desensitization to violence. Whether you’re exploring this topic through a positive or negative lens, this article will help generate ideas for areas of further exploration in your research.
Camuñas-García, D., Cáceres-Reche, M.P., Cambil-Hernández, M.E., & Lorenzo-Martín, M.E.
(2024). Digital Game-Based Heritage Education: Analyzing the Potential of Heritage-Based Video Games.
Education Sciences, 14(4), 396. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040396
From the Education Sciences journal, the authors of this article explore video games as tools for cultural heritage education. Because consideration of gaming as an educational tool is still so new, the field is just emerging and research is limited – this study delves deeply into the subject using a framework that can help shape the way we think about gamification of education. This can be a helpful tool for contextualizing your own research into this topic as you contribute to the growing scholarly communication around it.
Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Rutger, E. (2014). The Benefits of Playing Video Games.
American Psychologist, 69(1), 66-78. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/benefits-playing-video-games/docview/1492508455/se-2?accountid=14166
From the American Psychologist journal, this source provides a comprehensive overview of the positive impacts of video games, addressing their cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social benefits. In the article, the authors argue for a balanced perspective in the study of video games, emphasizing their potential to foster real-world psychosocial benefits, and highlight how video games have evolved into complex, diverse, and socially interactive experiences - far from the stereotypes traditionally portrayed by media.
Martinez, L., Gimenes, M., & Lambert, E. (2023). Video games and board games: Effects of playing practice
on cognition. PLoS ONE, 18(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283654
This study investigates the cognitive effects of playing video games and board games, analyzing data from 496 experiment participants. The findings reveal a significant relationship between video games and cognitive functions such as mental flexibility, visual working memory, and visuospatial processing, though they did not find any significant link between board games and these same functions, suggesting video games have a unique impact on the brain. The article is valuable as a source of empirical evidence on how video games contribute to cognitive development.
Wang, LH., Chen, B., Hwang, GJ., Guan, JQ., & Wang, YQ. (2022). Effects of digital game-
based STEM education on students’ learning achievement: a meta-analysis. International Journal of STEM
Education, 9(26). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00344-0
The authors of this article, published in the International Journal of STEM Education, conduct a meta-analysis that examines 33 studies of the impact digital game-based learning (DGBL) has on STEM Education and identifies key factors that influence the effectiveness of DGBL. For STEM majors, and even non-STEM majors, who have an interest in exploring the topic, this source provides strong empirical evidence that supports the use and value of video games as a tool in education.
Graham Russell, & British Broadcasting Corporation (Producers), & Russell, G. (Director).
(2015). Are Video Games Really that Bad? [Video/DVD] BBC Worldwide.
https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/should-you-really-play-video-games
This documentary discusses studies that quantify the positive and negative behavioral, physiological, and neurobiological impacts of video games, particularly violent video games, on players, and investigates the link between types of video games and their effects on emotion. In addition to violence, it also touches on issues such as addiction, aggression, and negative social biases around gaming. It also looks at industry practices, exploring how games are designed to maintain player engagement. The documentary, less than an hour in length, is an interesting and easy watch, and a rich source of balanced information for your own research purposes.