Case Study: Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood

A conversation overheard between two 10-year-old males at a mall video arcade:

Awwww, RIIIIIIIIGHT!! Bow before the new High Scorer, dude!

Man, its about time. Youve been playing that game for weeks. You bout ready to graduate from Ms. Pac Man and play a real video game?

Very funny. The game is called Starbase Attack, you loser. Lets see you kill all those droids while your photon blasters are running low.

Oh, man! Look at the time. My moms gonna kill me. How come time flies while were in here, but the clock stops while were in school?

I cant figure it out. Maybe its cuz we spend every day at school doin the same thing just sittin and listenin to the teacher yak about one thing or another.

Why cant we use video games to learn stuff at school?

1. These boys obviously enjoy playing video games and are quite good at them. The boys do not show the same talent in some of their school subjects. Based on Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence, does the skill of playing video games demonstrate any intellectual abilities?

2. One of the boys in the story above had been playing "Starbase Attack" for weeks. He is so familiar with the game that he can use all of the video game's functions (e.g., joystick, firing triggers, hyperspace button, etc.) without even thinking about them. According to Robert Sternberg, what kind of intelligence does this illustrate? Explain your choice.

3. From their perception of their classroom experience, what type of classroom environment has their teacher created? What could the teacher do to improve the boys motivation to learn and their interest in school?