Sky Journal of Educational Research
Sky Journal of Educational Research Vol. 2(3), pp. 015 - 019, March, 2014
Available online http://www.skyjournals.org/SJER
ISSN 2354-4406 ©2014 Sky Journals
Full Length Research Paper
The impact of computer games on creativity and
academic achievement of students
Vahid Motamedi* and Leila Bakhtiary
Department of Educational Technology, Faculty of Psychology and Education
Kharazmi, University, Tehran, Iran.
Accepted 15 February, 2014
The present study evaluated the impact of computer games on creativity and academic achievement of
students. The method of study was a correlation and cause – a comparative method. The population of the
study (N = 6175) was male and female public school students in 4th grade in four quarters of the city of Tehran
in academic year 2012 - 2013. One hundred and eighty cases using multi-stage cluster sampling were randomly
selected. The tool of gathering data was Torrance creativity test with subject-ability in such characteristics
such as fluency, flexibility, originality, and expansion. For data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics
were used. On description level parameters of distribution, present, average, median, standard deviation, skew
and domain were used. On the inferential level Pearson correlation test and analysis of variance were used.
Results showed that computer games reduced the originality dimension and expansion. Students who played
computer games on 2 dimension of creativity had lower scores than students who did not. There was also a
difference between male and female students in expansion and flexibility. Male students had more flexibility
and female more expansion. Flexibility variable had positive relationship with academic achievement, as well.
Key words: Computer games, creativity, academic achievement, students.
INTRODUCTION
The creation of thought, idea and new concepts are still
the important base of inventions, discoveries, and
development of appropriate ways for solving problems
and issues. The civilized societies emphasize constantly
the value and importance of intellectual and mental
abilities. Achieving potential creativity can be the life and
death matter for every society. Hence, an important
feature of any human which can play a major role in self
and society accomplishment is the strength of creativity.
Creativity involves any kind of thoughts process that
leads to useful and innovative ways to solve problem
(Craft, 2000; Csikzentmihihalyi, 1996; De Bono, 1993;
Gordon, 1961; Heppell, 1999; Osborn, 1953; Torrance,
1973). Creativity is a creation or recognition of
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected],
[email protected].
possibilities that are beneficial to self- or- other problem
solving. According to Fisher (2005), creativity is
something creative persons use to make creative
products. He states that a creative idea or product is
usually defined as original and appropriate. He further
states that creativity is also a collection of attitudes and
abilities that lead a person to produce creative thoughts,
ideas, or images. Given the importance of this subject,
creativity is one of the important objectives of any society.
Different educational systems in the world are looking to
find ways to enhance student’s creativity. Research
shows that one of the most important resources for the
development of creativity in children and adolescents are
computer games (Lee, 2005). Computer games are
divided into six categories: action, adventure, role-play,
strategic, simulation, and different discovery (Bates,
2004). Since computer games have challenging
environments, they may stimulate the students’ creativity
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Sky. J. Educ. Res.
(Roe and Muijs, 2000). What draw children attention is
computer games. Although many adults use
the
computer games, the main users are children
and teenagers (Ranker, 2006). What causes teenagers to
play computer games is attractiveness, availability, and
non-appropriate plan from authority and family to fill their
leisure time. In comparison to past generation, a lot of
today’s’ teenagers spend their free time on computer
games and activities outside home. There are different
opinions about the encouraging features of computer
games. Studies show that the number of effective factors
in designing and construction of computer games are
important in provoking players such as story context,
beliefs, goals, awards, multisensory cues and interactive
features of this kind of games (Dondlinger, 2007). There
are two different approaches about the use of computer
games. The first approach has positive vision of working
with computers. On this base, computer games have
numerous advantages for student and provoke their
learning motivation (Lee, 2005). Also, computer games
stimulate children’s’ interests, motivation, satisfaction,
pleasure, and excitement which can encourage creativity
(Clements, 1991). According to this approach, computer
games often include the process of creative problemsolving which allows children and teenagers to make
better use of computer technology (Roe and Mujis, 2000).
The second approach has a negative view to computer
games. Accordingly, working with computer and
computer games are obstacle to direct learning
experience (Alliance for Childhood, 2000). On the base of
this approach, computer games do not let students
develop their cognitive, mental, and social area and also
cause anger and aggression (Scarlett et al., 2004). In this
study we are attempting to show whether there is a
difference between creativity and academic achievement
of student with regard to their dependence to computer
games.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The studies done on the effect of computer technology
usage and computer games over the students’ creativity
are not similar. Many researches demonstrate the
improvement of children creativity after using computer
technology and computer games (Roe and Mujis, 2000;
Tuzun, 2004; Lee, 2005; Zap, 2006). Other research
(MacPherson, 2004) show that there is no difference in
the children creativity before and after using computer
technology and computer games. Zap (2006) concluded
that in recognition of skills and problem solving, children
who played computer games scored significantly higher
than those who did not. He also stated that computer and
video games are useful tools for the development of
children's cognitive skills and problem solving. According
to Gelfond and Salonius-Pasternak (2005), computer
games, given diverse and quality to children and
teenagers games, offer diverse methods for problem
solving and these methods can help in development of
student's high-level cognitive skills. MacPherson (2004)
believed that teenagers using computer games are faced
with the problem of cognitive skills. According to
MacPherson games are barrier to the growth potential of
children imagination and creativity. For Tuzun (2004)
computer games strengthen creativity, imagination,
motivation, partnership, and cooperation among children
and help in their problem solving. According to Gerinfild
(Quoted in Roe and Muijs, 2000), computer and video
games can cause skills development, problem solving
learning through trial and error, and the ability to
understand and control. Games can easily transfer skills
to other activities that need the same type of cognitive
skill. Bomen and Rooter (sited in Manteghi, 2001) found
that some of computer games have the necessary
flexibility, and lack of a clear structure, provide increase
creativity to children and teenagers, and increases the
amount of their ability for problem solving. Computer
games and academic performance of students is also a
concern of computer games among children teenagers
(Craft, 2000; Heppell, 1999). Fans of computer games
considered games as sources of learning and
entertainment. Activities in computer games can increase
coordination between eye and hand or teach special
skills for visualization space or mathematics (Donchin,
1983, Levin and kareev, 1981 - quoted in Ranker, 2006).
Studies of Abdolkhaleghi et al. (2006); Ramezankhani et
al. (2008); Roe and Muijs (2000); and Russell (2006)
also showed that rate of playing computer games has
negative correlation with student achievement; while
other research (Durkin and Barber, 2002) showed that
there is no negative relationship between computer
games and educational attainment. This study attempts
to answer the following questions:
i.) What impact computer games have on creativity?
ii.) Is there a significant relationship between creativity
and student’s academic progress?
iii.) Are there significant differences between boys and
girls in terms of creativity?
METHODOLOGY
The research method is correlation and causal. The
students were divided into two groups: the group that
played computer games and the group that did not.
Differences between groups were evaluated with test
creativity. Also, the study compared creativity average of
male and female students. The population of the study (N
= 6175) was male and female public school students in
4th grade in four quarters of the city of Tehran in
academic year 2012-2013. One hundred and eighty
cases using multi-stage cluster sampling were randomly
selected. The tools of gathering data was Torrance
creativity test with subject-ability in such characteristics
such as fluidity, originality, expansion, flexibility. Torrance
creativity test is illustrative. Visual forms of the Torrance
Tests of creative thinking
require responses
Motamedi and Bakhtiary
17
Table 1. Descriptive statistics for subjects' scores on creativity variables.
Groups‫للل‬
Sex
Average
Median
Fluency
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
Girl
Boy
28.29
26.60
18.70
20.80
44.89
38.40
75.65
62.98
30
30
28
23
47
42
70
63
Flexibility
Authenticity
Expansion
Standard
Deviation
0.54
0.63
2.79
2.69
6.55
5.80
1.49
1.82
Tilt
Domains
-2.34
1.9
-0.35
0.72
1.09
-0.05
1.8
0.39
1.5
-2.08
8.9
11
38
26
76
60
Table 2. Descriptive table of students who play or do not play computer games.
Groups
Fluency
Flexibility
Authenticity
Expansion
Computer Games
Play
Do not play
Play
Do not play
Play
Do not play
Play
Do not play
Average
28.99
28.99
22.60
22.50
40.20
42.79
140.5
155
Mean
29
29
23
23
46
50
139
155
Standard Deviation
0.18
0.16
2.23
2.03
5.93
5.89
1.81
3.09
Deviation
-8.36
-4.70
0.02
-0.24
-0.89
0.20
2.2
1.07
scope
1.5
1.5
9
9
28
23
79
65
Table 3. The effect of computer games on creativity of fourth grade female students.
Groups
Fluency
Flexibility
Authenticity
Expansion
Sum of the Roots
0.04
0.11
278.52
1296.18
Independence Rank
1
1
1
1
that are mainly visual or graphical in nature. The reason
for choosing the Torrance Test of creativity is its reliability
and appropriate validity in research. The reliability
coefficient for this test is 80 to 90% and its validity was
confirmed by experts that measure potential participants’
originality, expansions, flexibility and fluidity (Torrance,
2009).
RESULTS
In Table 1, the mean scores of male and female students
differ in many aspects of creativity. Girls on the expanded
scale pay attention to detail and have earned high
scores. On the other hand, boys’ flexibility scale has high
scores which indicate that boys tend to think about
different ways to solve a new problem.
By comparing the average of the students who play or
do not play computer games, we found that the average
of the students who do not play computer games on the
authenticity and expansion dimensions is rather higher
Roots Average
0.04
0.11
278.52
1296.18
F
2.29
0.03
8.36
6.18
Meaningfulness level
0.29
0.91
0.009
0,05
(Table 2). This demonstrates the stresses and tensions
when children feel while playing computer games which
are preventive in raising their creativity.
As shown in Table 3, computer games on the
dimensions of authenticity (F = 8.36, P < 0.01) and on the
expansion of fourth grade female students (F = 6.18, P <
0.05) is meaningful.
Table 4 shows that only flexibility variable has positive
and meaningful relation with students educational
advance (P < 0.01).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The results of this research showed that computer games
effect on the reduction of authenticity and expansion
dimensions of students is meaningful. When comparing
averages we found that students who play computer
games have lower scores in authenticity and expansion
dimensions than students who do not play. Doran et al.
(2002) concluded that playing these games can leave
meaningful effect on interpersonal interactions and
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Sky. J. Educ. Res.
Table 4. Pierson correlation for assessment of creativity and students
educational advancement.
Groups
Fluency
Flexibility
Authenticity
Expansion
Statistics
Pierson correlation
Meaningfulness level
Number
Pierson correlation
Meaningfulness level
Number
Pierson correlation
Meaningfulness level
Number
Pierson correlation
Meaningfulness level
Number
thereby on social skills of children. Expansion variables in
girls have meaningful relation and the boys have gained
higher scores in flexibility. There seems to be a positive
and meaningful relation between flexibility and
educational advancement. The results of this research
and study of PashsSharifi (2004) showed that boys have
greater creativity than do girls. There is a positive relation
between characteristic factors such as externalism,
conscience, flexibility and creativity. These researches as
well as study of Khosrovani and Gilani (2007) showed the
same results. Jackson (2001) concluded that artists and
writers have more emotional disorders especially
depression. Popworth et al. (2008) discovered that there
is a positive relation between creativity and mental
health. One hundred and four art graduate students were
investigated the results showed that art students
experience more creativity (Papworth and James, 2003).
The results of these findings along with Davis research
(2009) indicated that there is direct relation between
these two cases. He showed that positive creation
increases creativity. The results of this study showed that
computer games reduced the originality dimension and
expansion. Students who played computer games on 2
dimension of creativity had lower scores than students
who did not. There was also a difference between male
and female students in expansion and flexibility. Male
students had more flexibility and female more expansion.
Flexibility variable had positive relationship with academic
achievement, as well.
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