I think I’m
getting better at
this...
Dr Kawashima’s return:
the extended study
Derek Robertson: Learning and Teaching Scotland
David Miller: University of Dundee

What is Dr Kawashima?

What is Dr Kawashima?

How did this all start?
• Initial idea to use Dr Kawashima for the DS in class
• Small scale experiment carried out in three classes
• Results of Nintendo group were very interesting:
• Significant improvement in mental maths
accuracy
• Significant improvement in speed of processing
• No real impact on pupils’ perception of
improved ability in mental maths
• Enhanced collegiality in class

Sharing our work
• BECTa
• London Games Festival
• Online Educa: Berlin
• BETT’08: London
• Be Very Afraid ’07
• Handheld Learning ’07
• Singapore: British Council

Sharing our work
• BECTa
• London Games Festival
• Online Educa: Berlin
• BETT’08: London
• Be Very Afraid ’07
• Handheld Learning ’07
• Singapore: British Council

...still some suspicion

...still some suspicion

Snake oil?!

Semiotic Domains
SCHOOL
DOMAIN
GAMES
DOMAIN

Semiotic Domains
SCHOOL
DOMAIN
GAMES
DOMAIN

Extended study

Extended study

Extended study

Extended study

How did we proceed?
• All Scottish local authorities invited to note
interest in participation (19 notes of interest)
• Discussions with HMIE helped identify:
• Aberdeenshire
• Dundee City
• East Ayrshire
• Western Isles
• Complete data set for 634 P.5/6 children

Methodology adopted
• Randomised control trial
• Stratified randomised sample: lowest 25% in terms of socio-
economic status (based on free school meal entitlement)
• Classes randomly allocated to one of 2 conditions:
• Nintendo group: First thing in the morning for 20-30 mins, 5
days a week with one Brain Age check every week
• Control group: No change to teacher’s normal routine
• Training session for teachers in Nintendo group
• Treatment period: 9 weeks
• Pre and post measures:

Measures used
• Mental maths assessment aimed at 5-14 level D
• Addition, subtraction within 100, multiplication and division
up to 11x table
• Self concept tool: Marsh SDQI, (2 sub-scales)
• What did we aim to measure?
• mental maths accuracy
• any impact on speed of calculation
• various self measures
• other measures such as 5-14 levels

Mental Maths accuracy
• Significant gains in both groups
• However, gains in Nintendo group more than half as
much again (compared to control)

Speed of calculation
• Significant gains in both groups
• However, gains in Nintendo group more than twice that
of control groups

Other measures
Attitudes
• No significant change in either group
in relation to maths self-concept and
academic self-concept
• Attitude to school: slight (but
statistically significant) improvement
in Nintendo group, but not in
controls
• Why is this?

Other measures
Analysis by 5-14
• Accuracy: less able children tend
to improve more than more able
• Speed of processing: middle
ability improved most here
Dr Kawashima at home
• No significant difference
Gender
• No significant difference

Additional comment
Significant gains
• Nintendo group showed
statistically significant gains...
• ...but so too did the control!
• Possibility of John Henry effect?
• If so, the differences might be
even greater
• Value of our RCT methodology
is generalisability

...more questions raised
• Optimum length of time
• Which time of day?
• Other games that can enhance learning (in which
curricular areas)
• Does the improvement in speed of processing
generalise to other areas?
• Shared used versus individual use
• Correlation with deprivation
• Potential for children with ASN or disaffected pupils

Final Point
A lot of interesting insights gained from teachers
and children but that’s for another day...

Thank you
Summary paper available at:
http://ltsblogs.org.uk/consolarium/
Derek P Robertson: d.robertson@ltscotland.org.uk
David Miller: d.j.miller@dundee.ac.uk