Summaries of Research Papers
Vogel, J. J., Greenwood-Ericksen, A., Cannon-Bowers, J., & Bowers, C. A. (2006). Using Virtual Reality with and without Gaming Attributes for Academic Achievement. Journal of Research on Technology in Education (International Society for Technology in Education), 39(1), 105–118. http://doi.org/Article
This study primarily focused on the differences in results when using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) with and without game aspects. With respect to language arts, no significant changes were seen between those students who used CAI with a game and those who used only a CAI without a game. However, math results were very different and showed an overall improvement for all students who used a CAI. This is a meaningful result as it implies that the CAI, a form of virtual reality, can be useful in helping students visualize abstract mathematical concepts. As for the gaming attributes, a seamless experience linking the learning and gaming attributes must exist for gains to be made.