The Reading / Listening - Level 5

Maybe video games aren't so bad after all. A new study shows that teenagers who regularly played games online improved their school test scores. However, social media use was damaging to exam results. The study was from Australia's RMIT University. Researchers analysed the online activities of over 12,000 15-year-olds worldwide. It looked at their maths, reading and science scores. Researcher professor Alberto Posso concluded that: "Skills associated with online gaming correlate positively with general knowledge and skills tests in maths, reading, and science."

Critics suggest the findings may not be relevant today as the games are now outdated. Education expert Nicola Johnson said: "While [this study] should make headlines, you have to say it's not really a reflection of current practice." However, she did say children could learn useful skills while gaming. She said: "Many games involve a lot of strategising, problem solving [and] goal setting to obtain more skills." She added this, "would of course seemingly correspond with achievement and learning." Conversely, students who used social media a lot scored 20 points less on maths tests.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://mashable.com/2016/08/08/online-gaming-school-scores
  • http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/teens-who-play-online-games-perform-better-in-school-study-says-1.3022325
  • http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/45276/20160810/study-online-gaming-boosts-science-math-grades-facebook-no-academic-advantage.htm


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Maybe video games aren't so
  2. improved their school test
  3. social media use was damaging
  4. over 12,000 15-year-olds
  5. Skills associated
  6. correlate
  7. general
  8. tests in maths, reading,
  1. positively
  2. to exam results
  3. and science
  4. knowledge
  5. scores
  6. bad after all
  7. worldwide
  8. with online gaming

Paragraph 2

  1. Critics suggest the findings may not
  2. the games are now
  3. make
  4. it's not really a reflection
  5. learn useful skills
  6. problem
  7. correspond
  8. scored 20 points
  1. of current practice
  2. headlines
  3. less on maths tests
  4. while gaming
  5. with achievement
  6. be relevant today
  7. solving
  8. outdated

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Maybe video games aren't (1) ___________________. A new study shows that teenagers (2) ___________________ games online improved their school test scores. However, social media (3) ___________________ to exam results. The study was from Australia's RMIT University. Researchers analysed the online (4) ___________________ 12,000 15-year-olds worldwide. It looked at their maths, reading and science scores. Researcher professor Alberto Posso concluded that: "(5) ___________________ online gaming correlate positively with (6) ___________________ and skills tests in maths, reading, and science."

Critics suggest the findings may (7) ___________________ today as the games are now outdated. Education expert Nicola Johnson said: "While [this study] (8) ___________________, you have to say it's not really a reflection (9) ___________________." However, she did say children could learn useful skills while gaming. She said: "Many games involve a lot of strategising, problem solving [and] goal (10) ___________________ more skills." She added this, "would of course (11) ___________________ with achievement and learning." Conversely, students who used social media a lot scored (12) ___________________ maths tests.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Maybevideogamesaren'tsobadafterall.Anewstudyshowsthatteenag
erswhoregularlyplayedgamesonlineimprovedtheirschooltestscores.
However,socialmediausewasdamagingtoexamresults.Thestudywas
fromAustralia'sRMITUniversity.Researchersanalysedtheonlineactivi
tiesofover12,00015-year-oldsworldwide.Itlookedattheirmaths,rea
dingandsciencescores.ResearcherprofessorAlbertoPossoconcludedt
hat:"Skillsassociatedwithonlinegamingcorrelatepositivelywithgene
ralknowledgeandskillstestsinmaths,reading,andscience."Criticssug
gestthefindingsmaynotberelevanttodayasthegamesarenowoutdate
d.EducationexpertNicolaJohnsonsaid:"While[thisstudy]shouldmak
eheadlines,youhavetosayit'snotreallyareflectionofcurrentpractice."
However,shedidsaychildrencouldlearnusefulskillswhilegaming.She
said:"Manygamesinvolvealotofstrategising,problemsolving[and]go
alsettingtoobtainmoreskills."Sheaddedthis,"wouldofcourseseeming
lycorrespondwithachievementandlearning."Conversely,studentswh
ousedsocialmediaalotscored20pointslessonmathstests.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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