Outcomes and evaluation
This is a summarised version of our results but feel that the teacher and pupil voices in the impact section help to give a fuller flavour than would be gained solely from the following graphs and text. The clips bring to life the excitement and dynamism of what really happened in the class with the DS.
Self-concept questionnaire
Our results showed that there were no statistically significant gains in relation to this although it can be seen that the only group to increase their score in this measure was the Nintendo group. Interestingly enough, some of the video clips do highlight a perceived increase in self-confidence and a more collegiate ethos within the class group that used the Nintendos.
Scores in the maths test
All groups have shown an improvement over the course of the 10 weeks. However, the most significant change was in the Nintendo group. The average score went up 10 points from 76/100 to 86/100. The results of the Nintendo group also showed an improvement across the board, particularly in children who had scored in the 20s, 30s and 40s in the first test, with one learning support pupil jumping from 25/100 to 68/100. The lowest score in the second test was 65/100. The other two groups did not show such across the board improvements and their second tests still had a number of children scoring in the 20s, 30s and 40s.
Maths test times
The results of this test were very interesting. The Brain Gym and the Nintendo group both showed statistically significant gains. However, the gains in the Nintendo group proved to be particularly significant. The average time for completion of the test by the Nintendo group dropped from 17:01 minutes to 13:19 minutes. Some of the children halved the time it took to complete the test and either maintained or improved their score.
The video assets within this case study go some way towards bringing to life what has proved to have been a very interesting project. The fact that our results have shown that Brain Gym can have an impact on learner performance was heartening to see but the gains that the Nintendo group have made are particularly interesting. The senior management team in the school, the class teacher and the children all talk very positively about how the Dr Kawashima game has impacted on learning and the class ethos.
Effects of the two interventions
The Nintendo group spent more than twice the time playing the game as the Brain Gym group spent doing a limited selection of Brain Gym movements. This being the case, we note that it is impressive that the Brain Gym group did show a statistically significant improvement in speed in Maths tests. We also note that it is difficult for us to directly compare the outcomes from both groups due to the difference in time invested in both approaches.
Related content
If you liked this then have a look at: