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« SIOP 2006: Even the Effect Sizes are Bigger in Texas | Main | The Utility of Unproctored, Internet-Based Testing »
Using Video Games to Enhance Training Effectiveness
On May 11, 2006 by Jamie Madigan
I admit, I have a fascination for the space where video games and I/O Psychology intersect (see here and here). That's why there was one symposium at SIOP this year that I absolutely had to attend: Learn N'Play: Effectiveness of Videogame-Based Simulations for Training and Development.
It was comprised of two purely theoretical pieces and two empirical ones. The theoretical ones basically looked at where the nature of video games and training overlapped and identified a TON of questions that haven't been answered by any quality research. Most of it centered around how games could be used to facilitate learning and transfer of training to the job. If there are any gamer graduate students out there, this area is ripe for the picking, and you would totally have an excuse for playing Counter-Strike when you should be working on your dissertation.
The empirical pieces focused on qualities of the video game and qualities of the player that might enhance or inhibit the learning that was supposed to take place. The findings weren't exactly numerous nor shocking, but it's nice to see someone study this stuff scientifically. One researcher found, for example, that if in-game information is presented in spoken form or incorporated into mission/game objectives, it's much more likely to be recalled than if it's presented as just written text. This research line is still obviously in it's infancy, but I think it's fascinating to see where entertainment and science come together.
The group participation time that followed the presentations was also pretty interesting. People, myself included, were interested in the question of whether the medium of video games could be used for selection and assessment purposes and some of the panelists seemed to think so. Discussion even turned to using massively multiplayer games like World of Warcraft to facilitate emergent leadership research and leaderless group discussions. While I don't think that's very likely (too messy; selection measurements need to be more precise), it's fun to think about. I have a post about a Nintendo DS game called "Brain Age" that I've been meaning to make for a while, so I'll follow up on this idea there.
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