Bridging the Gap Between Learning and Fun

Is there a relationship between video game use and self-regulated learning

Abstract

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is when students proactively optimize their learning. Ingrained within this process is metacognition, the knowledge, control, and regulation of cognition. High levels of metacognition helps students select studing strategies, monitor study progress, and adjust study strategy to maximize learning. Video games may have an influence on SRL. Past research on video games have found varying effects. While some studies found improvements in problem solving and task perseverance, others found correlations with aggressive behaviours and addictive behaviours. It is possible that there is too much variation within video games, even of the same genre, to characterize video games. To contribute to the literature surrounding video game effects and to explore possible categorizations with video games, two studies were done. The first study explored the possibility of characterizing video game genres into complexity and sociability. The second study explored the relationship between video game use and SRL. To understand video game use and SRL, the study will examine the relationship among video game use, socialization in video games, cognitive and metacognitive studying strategies, and academic performance. The results from study 1 will aid the interpretation of study 2 to possibly explain study 2 results from complexity and sociability.