CrushStations is a game designed to train working memory, a subskill of executive functions. Updating involves holding information in mind and mentally working with it to solve a problem.
In this game, players need to save sea creatures that vary in type and color from a hungry octopus. Children free the creatures by identifying the type of creature and its color when it passes behind an opaque bubble. To do this requires children to hold in mind the features of the creatures, which requires working memory.
All You Can ET is part of SMART Suite, a set of games to train executive functions (also including All You Can ET and Gwakkamole) that has been developed by the CREATE lab at New York University in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara and The Graduate Center, CUNY. Published, peer-reviewed research with hundreds of students has validated the efficacy of SMART Suite for training executive functions (see bibliography), including the Handbook of Game-Based Learning.
Gwakkamolé is a game designed to train inhibitory control, a subskill of executive functions. Inhibition involves controlling your attention, thoughts or behaviors to stop from doing something that you are primed to do, because of a habit or external lure, in order to achieve a goal.
In this game, players need to quickly smash avocados that have no hat or that tip their hat, but avoid smashing avocados with spiky hats or with electrified hats. To do this, children must avoid the tendency to smash everything that appears, which requires them to use inhibition.
All You Can ET is part of SMART Suite, a set of games to train executive functions (also including All You Can ET and CrushStations) that has been developed by the CREATE lab at New York University in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara and The Graduate Center, CUNY. Published, peer-reviewed research with hundreds of students has validated the efficacy of SMART Suite for training executive functions (see bibliography), including the Handbook of Game-Based Learning.
Bibliography
Homer, B. D.,
Plass, J. L., Raffaele, C., Ober, T. M., & Ali, A. (2018). Improving high
school students’ executive functions through digital game play. Computers
& Education, 117, 50-58.
Homer, B.D.,
Ober, T.M., Rose, M.C., MacNamara, A.P., Mayer, R. & Plass, J.L. (2019).
Speed Versus Accuracy: Implications of Adolescents’ Neurocognitive Developments
in a Digital Game to Train Executive Functions, Mind, Brain & Education, 13(1),
41-52.
Homer, B.D.,
Plass, J.L., Rose, M.C., MacNamara, A.P., Pawar, S., & Ober, T.M. (2019).
Activating adolescents’ “hot” executive functions in a digital game to train
cognitive skills: The effects of age and prior abilities. Cognitive Development, 49, 20-32.
Ober, T. M.,
Brooks, P. J., Plass, J. L., & Homer, B. D. (2019). Distinguishing Direct
and Indirect Effects of Executive Functions on Reading Comprehension in
Adolescents. Reading Psychology, 40(6), 551–581.
Parong, J.,
Mayer, R. E., Fiorella, L., MacNamara, A., Homer, B. D., & Plass, J. L.
(2017). Learning executive function skills by playing focused video
games. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 51,
141-151.
Plass, J. L.,
Homer, B. D., Pawar, S., Brenner, C., & MacNamara, A.P. (2019). The effect
of adaptive difficulty adjustment on the effectiveness of a game to develop
executive function skills for learners of different ages. Cognitive Development, 49, 56-67.
Plass, J.L,
Homer, B.D., Pawar, S., & Tam, F. (2018). Connecting Theory and Design
Through Research: Cognitive Skills Training Games. In S. Göbel et al. (Eds.): Joint Conference on Serious Games 2018,
pp. 1–14, 2018. Spring Nature, Switzerland.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02762-9_15
Plass, J.L.,
Homer, B.D., MacNamara, A.P., Ober, T., Rose, M.C., Hovey, C.M., Pawar, S.,
& Olsen, A. (2019). Emotional Design for Digital Games for Learning: The
Affective Quality of Expression, Color, Shape, and Dimensionality of Game
Characters, Learning and Instruction.
Plass, J.L.,
Mayer, R. & Homer, B.D. (Eds.) (2020) Handbook
of Game-based Learning. MIT Press.
Sirin, S.,
Plass, J.L., Homer, B.D., Vatanartiran, S. & Tsai, T. (2018). Digital
game-based education for Syrian refugee children: Project Hope. Vulnerable
Children & Youth Studies, 13(1), 7-18. doi:
10.1080/17450128.2017.1412551
Vacca, R.
Bromley, M., Leyrer, J., Sprung, M., & Homer, B.D. (2014). Designing Games
for Emotional Health. In Schrier, K. (Ed), Learning,
Education, and Games (pp. 123-142). ETC Press.
All You Can ET is a game designed to train task shifting (cognitive flexibility), a subskill of executive functions. Shifting involves effectively switching between different tasks, rules, or goals.
In this game,
players need to apply frequently changing rules to give differently colored
aliens, who have different numbers of eyes, the correct food or drink. As the
levels progress, the rules get more complex. To succeed in this game, children
must be able to adapt to the new sets of rules, which requires shifting,
or cognitive flexibility.
All You Can ET is part of SMART Suite, a set of games to train executive functions (also including Gwakkamole and CrushStations) that has been developed by the CREATE lab at New York University in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara and The Graduate Center, CUNY. Published, peer-reviewed research with hundreds of students has validated the efficacy of SMART Suite for training executive functions (see bibliography), including the Handbook of Game-Based Learning.
Bibliography
Homer, B. D.,
Plass, J. L., Raffaele, C., Ober, T. M., & Ali, A. (2018). Improving high
school students’ executive functions through digital game play. Computers
& Education, 117, 50-58.
Homer, B.D.,
Ober, T.M., Rose, M.C., MacNamara, A.P., Mayer, R. & Plass, J.L. (2019).
Speed Versus Accuracy: Implications of Adolescents’ Neurocognitive Developments
in a Digital Game to Train Executive Functions, Mind, Brain & Education, 13(1),
41-52.
Homer, B.D.,
Plass, J.L., Rose, M.C., MacNamara, A.P., Pawar, S., & Ober, T.M. (2019).
Activating adolescents’ “hot” executive functions in a digital game to train
cognitive skills: The effects of age and prior abilities. Cognitive Development, 49, 20-32.
Ober, T. M.,
Brooks, P. J., Plass, J. L., & Homer, B. D. (2019). Distinguishing Direct
and Indirect Effects of Executive Functions on Reading Comprehension in
Adolescents. Reading Psychology, 40(6), 551–581.
Parong, J.,
Mayer, R. E., Fiorella, L., MacNamara, A., Homer, B. D., & Plass, J. L.
(2017). Learning executive function skills by playing focused video
games. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 51,
141-151.
Plass, J. L.,
Homer, B. D., Pawar, S., Brenner, C., & MacNamara, A.P. (2019). The effect
of adaptive difficulty adjustment on the effectiveness of a game to develop
executive function skills for learners of different ages. Cognitive Development, 49, 56-67.
Plass, J.L,
Homer, B.D., Pawar, S., & Tam, F. (2018). Connecting Theory and Design
Through Research: Cognitive Skills Training Games. In S. Göbel et al. (Eds.): Joint Conference on Serious Games 2018,
pp. 1–14, 2018. Spring Nature, Switzerland.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02762-9_15
Plass, J.L.,
Homer, B.D., MacNamara, A.P., Ober, T., Rose, M.C., Hovey, C.M., Pawar, S.,
& Olsen, A. (2019). Emotional Design for Digital Games for Learning: The
Affective Quality of Expression, Color, Shape, and Dimensionality of Game
Characters, Learning and Instruction.
Plass, J.L.,
Mayer, R. & Homer, B.D. (Eds.) (2020) Handbook
of Game-based Learning. MIT Press.
Sirin, S.,
Plass, J.L., Homer, B.D., Vatanartiran, S. & Tsai, T. (2018). Digital
game-based education for Syrian refugee children: Project Hope. Vulnerable
Children & Youth Studies, 13(1), 7-18. doi:
10.1080/17450128.2017.1412551
Vacca, R.
Bromley, M., Leyrer, J., Sprung, M., & Homer, B.D. (2014). Designing Games
for Emotional Health. In Schrier, K. (Ed), Learning,
Education, and Games (pp. 123-142). ETC Press.
