The field study examines the effect of the simulation game
Battle Squares on the learning of the map reading skill of
grid-reference determination by year 7 students. The effect of
ability level and sex differences on the acquisition of gridreferencing
skills were also examined. The simulation game
developed is a modification of the traditional children's
game Battleships. The modifications produced the major
features of the grid system used on Australian Survey Map
sheets without substantially altering the characteristics of
the game Battleships.
Two treatment groups played the simulation game, one group
having experienced both a pre test and a post test and the
other group only the post test. A third treatment did the
pre test and post test without experiencing the simulation
game.
Students in both treatment groups which experienced the simulation game showed significant gains in the learning of
grid-referencing skills. Students in upper ability level
groups gained significantly better scores on the post test
than students in lower ability level groups. Both upper and
lower ability level groups showed significant gains. Girls
performed significantly better than boys on the post test.
Both boys and girls showed significant gains as a result of the
simulation game experience. Ability level was a more important
moderating variable than sex difference in producing variations
in performance on the post test of grid-referencing skills.
The explicit educational aims of the simulation game were
effectively achieved in a short period of time, while maintaining
student motivation and interest. The success of the simulation
game in producing significant changes in grid referencing skills
would appear to have resulted from the frequent practise of
these skills the simulation game playing experience offers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219317 |
| Date | January 1980 |
| Creators | Scrivener, J. G., n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright J. G. Scrivener |
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