PA School Board: D&D can improve students test scores

[Dr Awkward]

http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/l...2524946.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines

According to Greenwich Time, a PA school board conducted a five-year study on the effects of enrichment programs on student performance and found that students who participated in a D&D program showed a 4.5 percent increase in their test results.

The focus of the article is on chess (which returned a 17 percent improvement), but the numbers are still good to see. I'm going to see if I can get a copy of the study results and make them available on the site.

- DocAwk

 

[ssampier]

Interesting, it seems like the author has a definite bias toward chess in the article. Also it is assumed that a student may only play D&D or creative writing or chess. What is the potential if a student plays chess and other enrichment activities? Also, I wonder if chess has a self-selection process; only the brightest or most dedicated may be attracted to chess.

 

[Jdvn1]

So since I play both chess and D&D I'm destined to be a genius?

... Well, less of a moron, at least.

 

[Dr Awkward]

Also it is assumed that a student may only play D&D or creative writing or chess. What is the potential if a student plays chess and other enrichment activities? Also, I wonder if chess has a self-selection process; only the brightest or most dedicated may be attracted to chess.

Sounds like a good subject for another study!

I've managed to get the name of the fellow who did the research - Robert Ferguson of the Bradford, PA school district - now I want to see if I can get the results of the study, find out more about his methodology, etc. It looks like the research happened in the early 80s.

At the very least, we've got a study that proves that playing D&D helps a kid's grey matter as much as taking a course in creative writing - and which would be more likely to happen over the summer months, when kids are out of school and forgetting all about their lessons?

- DocAwk