Bonanno
Philip Bonanno
University of Malta.
Biography
In 1982 graduated from the University of Malta (UOM) with a bachelors in Education specializing in Science Education. Between 1982-1995, taught science and biology in Secondary state schools. In 2001 graduated with a Masters in Philosophy from the Centre for Communication Technologies, University of Malta (UOM), specializing in Individual Differences in Learning and Instruction, taking a research route. Presently reading for a PhD in Instructional Psychology and Technology at University of Twente, The Netherlands. Lectures in Biology at a pre-university college, in Instructional Design and Individual Differences in Learning at the UOM.
Research interests:
Individual Differences in Learning; Computer-based Learning; Cognitive Neuroscience; Science Education; Digital Game-Based Learning.
Abstract
Digital Game play amongst Maltese Students
This paper reports work in progress of a longitudinal study investigating the use of digital games amongst Maltese students in Secondary and Post-Secondary schools. It is an elaboration on previous work exploring the relationship between cognitive style and academic performance in Maltese students taking Biology at advanced level (Bonanno 2001). In this work the Cognitive Style of 581 (212 males and 369 females) advanced Biology students, as determined by the Cognitive Style Analysis (CSA) administered (Riding, 1991), was correlated with their academic performance in five different subjects. Gender proved to be the stronger determinant in performance. These results were interpreted from a Cognitive Neuroscience perspective. Numerous studies consistently found gender differences in language and visuospatial skills. Female superiority is seen on tests of both receptive and productive language, and on more complex tasks such as making analogies and creative writing. Males have an advantage in visuospatial reasoning being more adept at performing disembedding and internal spatial transformations required by a task.
In view of these results and the constantly reported gender difference in the use of digital games, this paper describes an investigation about tendencies in use of digital games by students of different ages and gender. Through a questionnaire students were asked about the time they spend playing digital games, their preferred platform and preferred games. Data is being analysed to establish amount of time spent on playing digital games, the preferred platform, the most popular digital games amongst males and female students, and the preferred game genre for the different age groups. The results will be compared with research studies done in other countries. Gender related differences will be interpreted from a Cognitive Neuroscience perspective pointing to their direct role both in the immediate skills employed during game playing or in tacit gender scripts embedded in digital games. Suggestions will be made for possible integration of digital games in instruction and the viability of Digital Game-Based Learning.
Philip Bonanno
|
Sitemap 