Effects of Using Computer Games as an Instructional Tool on Third Grade Students’ Acquisition of Higher Order Thinking Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the
effect of computer games as an instructional tool on
third grade students’ acquisition of higher order
thinking skills. Three instructional computer games that
cover the content of three lessons in Arabic,
Mathematics and Science textbooks were used. Thirtytwo students served as the experimental group and were
taught via computer games, and 31 students served as
the control group and were taught the same content
without using computer games. Subjects were all
chosen from a public school in Irbid in the northern
part of Jordan. The target higher order thinking skills
were analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, assessed by an
achievement test designed for this purpose. The results
of the study revealed significant differences among
students in the acquisition of the three levels of higher
order thinking skills in favor of the experimental group,
indicating a significant effect of computer games on
acquiring higher order thinking skills.