Barbour, M. K., Kinsella, J. & Rieber, L. P. (2007, October). PowerPoint games in K-12 e-learning environments. Paper presentation at the annual World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare and Higher Education, Quebec City , QC. There is no denying the success and popularity of WebQuests among teachers. WebQuests are very creative and very useful. For those of us interested in technology integration in the schools, this is a significant step in the right direction. Yet, WebQuests are instructivist examples of technology integration – they are web-enhanced forms of direct instruction (albeit some teachers have students create their own WebQuests). We consider constructing homemade PowerPoint games as a constructionist alternative to WebQuests. PowerPoint is nearly ubiquitous software tool and PowerPoint games are already a familiar part of many classrooms, though usually in the form of already existing games (such as Jeopardy) that a teacher modifies for instruction. This project is different in that it contends that a better use of class time for learning is to turn over the act of game design to the children themselves. In this project, students in social studies course delivered by a mid-western high school designed PowerPoint Games as a means to review for portions of their mid-term examination.

1. in a K-12 e-Learning Environments
Michael K. Barbour
Wayne State University - Detroit, MI
Jim Kinsella
University High School – Normal, IL
Lloyd P. Rieber
University of Georgia - Athens, GA

2. The K-12 Classroom
Peoria Christian School Middle School in Maine
(circa 1950) (circa 2005)
Images from http://www.peoriachristian.org/index.php?section=26 and http://www.mamleonline.org/thumb-classroom.jpg

3. An Exception
• WebQuests - http://www.webquest.org
• a creative instructional strategy that
guides students through a set of
specific tasks, using pre-selected
resources, to complete an
assignment
• based on what teachers already do
– design instruction for students
– use Internet resources
– make good use of student time
• teachers feel good about integrating
technology into their classroom

4. Another Exception
• schools typically have
access to PowerPoint
• teachers already have some
facility with the tool
• students are also familiar
with the tool
• everyone would like to be It's better because it's homemade!
able to use it for more than
just another PowerPoint
presentation

5. University High Projects
• US Studies
• British Literature

6. Creating a PPT Game
1. Introduce PPT games
2. Sharing game ideas and stories
3. Different levels of questioning
4. Create prototype of the game
5. Peer review
6. Share games with the class

7. Methodology
• US Studies: multiple-
choice questions
• British Literature:
essay-style questions

8. US Studies Findings
• from a statistical standpoint, there were no
significant difference in student
performance (F value = 1.324 / α = 0.253)
Student Average Scores By Class By Topic On Mid-Term Exam
Class 1 Class 2 Total
Exam Score in Game Area 5.76 4.72 5.35
Average Exam Score in Non-Game 5.10 4.71 5.01
Areas

9. British Literature Findings
• from a statistical standpoint, there were no
significant difference in student
performance (F value = 0.090 / α = 0.766)
Summary of Student Performance Data
Control Group Experiment
Group
Pre-Test 78.83% 76.61%
Post-Test 85.14% 84.36%
Average Difference + 6.32% + 7.75%

10. Conclusions
• PPT Games were as effective as the other
methods students used to review
• both the teacher and the researchers that
they enjoyed this activity

11. Possibilities
• very small sample size (n=50 / n=35)
• extrapolate out the same performance
difference with ten times the sample size
the same margin of difference in
improvement becomes statistically
significant

12. Future Research
• second data set from US Studies course
• both teachers have indicated a willingness
to participate in similar projects in both the
Fall and Winter semesters this academic
year

13. It's better because it's homemade!
http://it.coe.uga.edu/wwild/pptgames/index.html

14. Contact Information
Michael K. Barbour
Assistant Professor
Wayne State University – Detroit, MI
mkbarbour@gmail.com
http://www.michaelbarbour.com