Week 3: Research Sources

   I began my research by keyword searching "Video games as pedagogical tools", as well as "video games and education."  With my research question in mind: are video games viable pedagogical tools, I looked for case studies discussing the results of video games and their affect on learning.
     The first viable article I found which pertained to my research topic is titled, "Exploring Collaborative Learning Methods for Multiplayer
Educational Games in Low Resource Environments."  This article explained the process and results of a case study involving 192 grade school students and a math based video game.  The study involved a simple game where students are asked to solve math problems with unlimited time.  The variable examined was how the students performed when competing against each other, 4 individuals with their own keypad, versus how they performed when grouped as teams of two each team sharing a keypad and competing against the other.  I hope to use this case study to illuminate some of the possible benefits of video games as pedagogical tools, and the complex relationship between forms of media, competition, and desire to learn.
       The second scholarly article that I discovered is titled, "‘REALITY WORLDS’ COLLIDE: FILM AND VIDEOGAMES AS PEDAGOGICAL TOOLS FOR THE CLASSICS".  I found the article on a website connected to Stellenbosch University of South Africa.  This article discusses the possibilities of interactive media, in this case both films and video games, as pedagogical tools from a theoretical perspective.  Specifically, the article discusses the benefits of critical engagement with a form of media.  After further review I hope to use this article as a unique perspective on the connection between video games and cognitive development.
        I also discovered an online presentation from the 2009 ModSim World Canada Conference.  This presentation focuses closely on my research topic, and most importantly references a series of works and authors whom I hope to use in my future research.  At a glance the presentation discusses the variety of ways in which video games can stimulate learning.  The presentation points to video games as a conduit for multiple types of learning: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, as well being catalysts for developing problem solving skills.
       The fourth article I hope to use in my research is titled, "Computer Game Studies, Year One."  It is written by Espen Aarseth a professor at the University of Bergen in Norway.  Aarseth is the author of a book, "Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature" as well as being the "founder of the Digital Arts and Culture annual series of international conferences."  This article focuses on computer game studies as an emerging academic field.  The article discusses the potential for cognitive and cultural progression through the use of digital narratives and interaction.  This article focuses less on empirical data than I would like, but offers information on the context of a growing discourse regarding computer/video games as tools for learning.