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.
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.