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Gaming enhances learning-induced plastic changes in the brain
Junttila, Katja Smolander, Anna-Riikka Karhila, Reima Giannakopoulou, Anastasia Uther, Maria Kurimo, Mikko Ylinen, Sari
Junttila, Katja
Smolander, Anna-Riikka
Karhila, Reima
Giannakopoulou, Anastasia
Uther, Maria
Kurimo, Mikko
Ylinen, Sari
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2022-04-26
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Abstract
Digital games may benefit children’s learning, yet the factors that induce gaming benefits to cognition are not well known. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of digital game-based learning in children by comparing the learning of foreign speech sounds and words in a digital game or a non-game digital application. To evaluate gaming-induced plastic changes in the brain, we used the mismatch negativity (MMN) brain response that reflects the access to long-term memory representations. We recorded auditory brain responses from 37 school-aged Finnish-speaking children before and after playing a computer-based language-learning game. The MMN amplitude increased between the pre- and post-measurement for the game condition but not for the non-game condition, suggesting that the gaming intervention enhanced learning more than the non-game intervention. The results indicate that digital games can be beneficial for children’s speech-sound learning and that gaming elements per se, not just practice time, support learning.
Citation
Junttila, K., Smolander, A-R., Karhila, R., Giannakopoulou, A., Uther, M., Kurimo, M. and Ylinen, S. (2022) Gaming enhances learning-induced plastic changes in the brain. Brain and Language, 230, Article number 105124
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Journal article
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en
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This is an accepted manuscript of a paper published by Elsevier on 26/04/2022. The accepted manuscript of the publication may differ from the final published version.
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0093-934X
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This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (projects no 274058 and 274075), the Doctoral Programme in Psychology, Learning and Communication, and the University of Helsinki Research Funds.