Using video game play to improve education-majors’ mathematical performance: An experimental study

• We examined relationship between enhanced attentional capabilities and math performance.
• Action video games were used to enhance attentional and working memory capabilities.
• Education-majors participated in two studies.
• Videogame play improved mental rotation, working memory, and geometry performance.
• Expert AVGers had higher working memory, spatial, and geometry skills than non-gamers.

Action video games (AVGs) is an effective way to improve attentional capabilities that are important for academic foundations. The present research sought to establish a link between enhanced attentional capabilities and mathematics performance and anxiety in education-majors. We examined group differences between experienced and inexperienced AVGers and the effects of AVG practice on mathematics performance and mathematics anxiety as mediated by the effect of attention on working memory. Our first experiment showed that expert AVGers had significantly higher working memory, spatial, and geometry abilities than non-gamers. In Experiment 2, undergraduates without prior AVG experience were randomly assigned to play either an AVG (Unreal Tournament 2004) or a non-AVG (Angry Birds). After 10 h of video game practice, both intervention groups significantly improved their mental rotation skills, working memory and geometry performance from pre- to post-test, closely approaching the average cognitive performance of expert AVGers. Furthermore, student cognitive load significantly decreased from pre- to post-test for both groups. Our results suggest that both an AVG and a popular non-AVG, Angry Birds, can improve cognitive abilities. Implications for using the games to enhance cognitive skills are discussed.