Examining the Relationships of Videogame Preference/Experience, Personality Trait, and Attitude toward Educational Technologies in U.S. College Students

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank my supervisors, friends and family, without their support this research study would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I adjudge that the entire content of this dissertation is entirely my own work; the content used in this dissertation has not been submitted before in any educational institution and represents my own opinion.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

Although various digital technologies have become commonplace for America's youth, educational institutions can be slow to effectively integrate them in the classroom. Creating a better understanding of students' perceptions of technology can assist in closing this gap. The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the impact of videogame preferences and experiences of U.S. college students on their perception of various educational technologies. The authors created a survey instrument to collect key personal characteristics (such as gender and age), game technology preferences, game type preferences, reasons for playing video games, and attitudes toward educational technologies. The survey also included a 40-item instrument for measuring personality traits, based on the “Big Five” factors.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

The Internet Changes Videogames5

Stand Alone Games6

Simulation Video Games6

Nature of the Study10

Research Questions and Hypothesis10

Hypothesis10

Purpose of the Study11

Research objectives11

Rationale of the study11

Scope and Limitations12

Summary and Transition13

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW14

Introduction14

Videogames14

VideoGame Acceptance17

History of Videogames19

The First Videogames22

Videogames in education24

Current Stage of Videogames25

Videogames experiences28

Game genres32

Strategy33

Adventure33

Simulation34

Multiplayer vs. Single Player Videogames37

Role-playing39

Personality42

The Five-Factor Model of Personality (FFM)42

Five factor and Studies on those factors43

Learning Theories Involving Games46

Studies Pertaining to Games in Education48

Educational Uses of Videogames50

Attitudes towards Technology54

Success use of technology requires positive attitudes54

Authenticity for Learning and Participation as Learning55

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY57

Introduction57

Research Question and Hypothesis57

Hypothesis58

Research Design and Approach58

Big five personality factors62

Statistical analysis62

Setting and Sample62

Data collection62

Secondary Research Methods63

Primary Research Methods63

Questionnaires63

Justification of using Mixed Methodology64

Geographic Location66

Sources for searching literature66

Using keywords67

Time table67

Gantt chart67

Summary and Transition67

REFERENCES69

APPENDIX73

Questionnaire73

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Technology innovation, especially the advances in computer technologies, has significantly impacted our lives and education, e.g., the improvement of accessing information, and the changes of how people communicate, think, and process information (Prensky, 2001 ). The applications of computer technology not only help people unlock the power of learning but also improve learning outcomes (O'Neil et.al.2005). Among the applications of computer technology, the educational power that lies in entertaining Videogames has not been fully understood and applied (Lenhart, 2008 ).

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Prensky (2001a) coined the term “digital natives” to describe students who have been exposed to computers, videogames, and other digital media from birth. One of Prensky's key points was that digital natives process information fundamentally different than digital immigrants (individuals comfortable with digital technologies, but exposed to it only later in life). Prensky (2001b) suggests a number of reasons why digital natives may think differently than previous generations: neuro-plasticity, malleability, need for interactivity, and a lack of reflection. Neuroplasticity describes how brain structures continue to evolve and adapt during a person's lifetime. Malleability is Prensky's term for how ...