investiGaming is a publication of the Serious Game Design group in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University, 2007-2009
This gateway is partially supported by grant 0631771 from the National Science Foundation.
The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent Michigan State University or the National Science Foundation.
Children Middle SchoolinvestiGaming › Tags › Children Middle School
Selected highlights from the CHILDREN MIDDLE SCHOOL tag (scroll down to see the full list of entries with this tag, including links to the entries)
Gaming Preferences
• Boys (aged 12-17) at a lower education level play more standalone games, play more violent games, and display less social motivations for game-playing, than their higher educated counterparts, who played more lawn and MMOs for social motivations (Bijvank, 2007).
• Lower-educated boys (ages 12-17) were most attracted by the violence in their favorite games, whereas higher-educated boys were most attracted to the games’ potential for immersion (Bijvank, 2007).
• 82.9% of female secondary students fall into the “logic-and-skill-training game player’’ class and 81.9% of female secondary students do not play games at all (Quaiser-Pohl, 2005).
• 81.7%of male secondary students fall into the class of ‘‘action-and-simulation game players” (Quaiser-Pohl, 2005).
• Many women enjoy competition and appreciate fighting, action, and racing games (Flanagan, 2005).
• Females enjoy games with flexible environments that allow exploration of a game’s objects and boundaries (Flanagan, 2005).
• Sixth through eighth grade girls are interested in making games for self-expression based on real-life problems they face as well as fantasy and violent games (Denner, 2005).
Benefits of Games
• Secondary student male gamers that play logic-based or skill-training games perform slightly better on mental-rotations tests than those that do not, no such correlation was found with female gamers (Quaiser-Pohl, 2005).
• The adoption of qualities and skills active in a game can become activated in life after the game for female preadolescents (Nguyen, 2005).
• Sixth through eighth grade girls benefit from learning environments that involve collaboration with peers, activities that challenge stereotypes, and exploration of social identities (Denner, 2005).
Girls as Game Designers
• When given the opportunity to create their own storytelling game, middle school girls most often implement a way for players to overcome personal triumph in a real-world setting which end in a win or lose state (Denner, 2005).
• When placed in the role of game designers, 5th and 8th grade girls consciously designed their games with both male and female players in mind, while boys designed only for other boys (Heeter, in press).
Bijvank, Marije, Konijn, Elly, and Bushman, Brad (2007)
Synopsis:
397 boys of varying education levels were surveyed to examine what characteristics distinguish various player-types.
Keywords:
academia, conference, survey, motivations, player types, aggression, middle school, high school, violence, what men want, what women want, values at play, academic achievement
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
62 sixth- to eighth-grade girls were analyzed through adult observations and program leader logs and participant surveys and interviews in order to determine if the program successfully helped girls overcome the barriers to girls’ active participation in information technology.
Keywords:
journal, academia, girls designing games, IT careers, case study, middle school, game design
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
126 girls who were enrolled in the Girls Creating Games program were given pre- and post-test surveys and 31 girls who represented the range of grade levels, computer expertise, and race/ethnicity of the program participants were interviewed in order to determine the program’s effectiveness.
Keywords:
journal, academia, middle school, girls designing games, computer skills, game design
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Describes the content of 45 games that were designed and programmed by middle school girls in order to determine what girls like about games and gaming.
Keywords:
case study, conference, middle school, girls designing games, gender inclusive, storytelling, cooperation, gender stereotypes, gender equity
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Observations and interviews with Black American middle school boys about digital games as an informal learning experience are presented.
Keywords:
academia, journal, case study, digital divide, ethnicity, learning, middle school,
Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes
Synopsis:
Description of the informal work with design partners when developing a the research project, RAPUNSEL, a game to teach girls programming.
Keywords:
conference, middle school, what women want, game design
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A three year study , with a content analysis of games envisioned by 5th and 8th graders, followed by a survey of students in the same age range reacting to video promos representing these envisioned games.
Keywords:
academia, journal, game design, survey, experiment, children middle school, girls designing games, gender inclusive, violence, avatars, humor, npcs, storytelling, genre educational games, Halo
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Describes “My Pop Studio” and presents a model for assessing the impact of this program on learning that incorporates the dimensions of pleasure, a sense of mastery, participation in an online community, media literacy skills, and other outcomes for girls in this age group.
Keywords:
book, chapter, case study, middle school, media literacy
Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes
Synopsis:
An after after-school club in Whyville was created and girls’ and boys’ online and offline interactions while in this club were observed.
Keywords:
book, chapter, co play, cooperation, Whyville, middle school
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes
Synopsis:
Describe a case study in designing a computer programming system targeted towards middle school girls that presents computer programming as a means to the end of telling 3D animated stories.
Keywords:
book, chapter, IT careers, what women want, storytelling, programming, middle school
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes
Synopsis:
Showcases the accomplishments of contemporary women in science and highlights the varied and intriguing careers of some of today’s most prominent scientists. This site draws from and accompanies the publication of a ten-volume series of biographies entitled Women’s Adventures in Science.
Keywords:
book, media-press, blog, it careers, middle school,
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Describes the game including formative research for “Click! Urban Adventure,” a collaborative, cross-disciplinary project intended to incorporate lifelong interest in science and technology for pre-adolescent and early adolescent girls.
Keywords:
conference, case study, educational games, game design, middle school, IT careers, gender identity, storytelling
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
This study examined 861 German secondary-school students to determine how computer-game preference relates to mental-rotation test (MRT) performance and to gender differences.
Keywords:
journal, Germany, experiment, spatial cognition, non gamers, middle school, gender theories, player types
Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Survey of 343 fourth through sixth graders’ uses, gratifications, and opinions related to free online games as well as gender differences within this gameplay.
Keywords:
conference, motivations, online games, casual games, middle school
Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes