REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE

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22202-4302. and to the Office of Manageent and Budget. Paperwork Reducidon Projed (0704-0188)
2REORT DATE

3. REPORT TYPE AND DATE COVERED

Setmber 1992

Journal Article

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

5. FUNDING NUMBERS

The Effectiveness of Games for Educational Purposes: A Review of Recent

Research

None

6. AUTHOR(S)

J. M. Randel, B. A. Morris, C. Douglas Wetzel, and B. V. Whitehili

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
REPORT NUMBER

Navy Personnel Research and Development Center

San Diego, California 92152-6800

JN-92-15

9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

10. SPONSORING/MONITORING

Simulation and Gaming, Vol. 23,

3, pp. 261-276

sNo.

12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABIUITY STATEMENT

1-12b.
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

ADISTRIBUTION CODE

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)

This article reviews the literature that compares the instructional effectiveness of games to conventional classroom instruction.
Studies dealing with empirical research rather than teachers' judgments are reviewed. Published reviews of research in the English
language dating from 1963 to 1984 were examined and the literature was searched for studies from 1984 to 1991. Of the 67 studies

considered over a period of 28 years, 38 show no difference between games and conventional instruction; 22 favor games; an
additional 5 favor games, but their controls are questionable; and 3 favor conventional instruction. Results for social sciences, math,
language arts, logic, physics, biology, retention over time, and interest are examined. Math is the subject area with the greatest

percentage of results favoring games, but only eight studies have adequate controls. Thirty-three out of 46 social science games/
simulations show no difference between games/simulations and classroom instruction. The authors conclude that subject matter areas
where specific content can be targeted are more likely to show beneficial effects for gaming.

122 026

93-01138

15. NUMBER OF PAGES

14. SUBJECT TERMS

Educational, effectiveness, evaluation, instructional, games, review, simulations

16
16. PRICE CODE

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OF REPORT
UNCLASSIFIED
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1SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

OF THIS PAGE

UNCLASSIFIED

1SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT

OF ABSTRACT

UNCLASSIFIED

UNLIMITED
Stundard Forn 29 (Rev. 2-69)
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