Video Games for Learning
Work in this area investigates the development and use of video games for learning.
Focused Computer Games that Promote Specific Cognitive Skills
In collaboration with Richard E. Mayer, UCSB; Jan L. Plass, NYU
Funding by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
Dr. Homer and his collaborators seek to design and develop computer games targeting executive functions, cognitive skills that predict success in many academic disciplines (Best et al., 2011), in middle school through early college students. More information about this project is available here.
Games for Learning Institute
An interdisciplinary, cross-university research institute with funding by Microsoft Research
Dr. Homer and his collaborators investigated how different design patterns in games affect student learning and motivation. They also examined ways of embedding assessment into educational games to provide to students and educators.
Sample Publications:
- Homer, B.D., Plass, J.L., Rafaele, C., Ober, T. M., & Ali, A. (2018). Improving High School Students’ Executive Functions Through Digital Game Play. Computers and Education, 117, 50-58.
- 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., & Kinzer, C.K. (2015). Foundations of Game-based Learning, Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258-283.
- Homer, B. D., Kinzer, C. K., Plass, J. L., Letourneau, S. M., Hoffman, D., Bromley, M., … & Kornak, Y. (2014). Moved to learn: The effects of interactivity in a Kinect-based literacy game for beginning readers. Computers & Education, 74, 37-49.
- Homer, B.D., Hayward, E.O., Frye, J. & Plass, J.L. (2012). Gender and Player Characteristics in Video Game Play of Preadolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(5), 1782-1789.
Language, Cognition, and Children’s Symbolic Abilities
Work in this area investigates language, literacy and developmental influences on children’s symbolic abilities. Related research includes studies of the relationship between literacy and children’s understanding of language, as well as studies of cultural and biological influences on children and adults’ theory of mind, the ability to reason about the perspective, emotions, and desires of others (Wellman, Cross, & Watson, 2001).
Sample Publications:
- Hayward, E. O., & Homer, B. D. (2017). Reliability and validity of advanced theory‐of‐mind measures in middle childhood and adolescence. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 35(3), 454-462.
- Hayward, E. O., Homer, B. D., & Sprung, M. (2016). Developmental trends in flexibility and automaticity of social cognition. Child development, 89(3), 914-928.
- Homer, B.D., Petroff, N., & Hayward, E. O. (2013). Linguistic Mediation of Children’s Performance in a New Symbolic Understanding Task. Journal of Cognition and Development, 14(3), 455-466.
- Homer, B.D., Halkitis, P. N., Moeller, R.W., & Solomon, T. M. (2013). Methamphetamine Use and HIV in Relation to Impaired Social Cognition. Journal of Health Psychology, 18(7), 900-910.
Multimedia Learning Environments
Work in this area investigates how cognitive abilities and prior knowledge affect students’ interactions with and learning from multimedia environments. Ongoing work is investigating the role of “emotional design” in multimedia, and effects of individual differences, such as executive functions.
.Molecules and Minds
In collaboration with Catherine Milne, Jan Plass, Trace Jordan, NYU
Funding by the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES)
Dr. Homer and his colleagues developed and tested computer-based simulations for teaching chemistry to a variety of learners, but particularly low-income, urban students with low prior knowledge in science and technology. An approach that has proven effective is the integration of iconic representation of key information into the simulations.
Sample Publications:
- Homer, B. D., & Plass, J. L. (2014). Level of interactivity and executive functions as predictors of learning in computer-based chemistry simulations. Computers in Human Behavior, 36, 365-375.
- O’Keefe, P. A., Letourneau, S. M., Homer, B. D., Schwartz, R. N., & Plass, J. L. (2014). Learning from multiple representations: An examination of fixation patterns in a science simulation. Computers in Human Behavior, 35, 234-242.
- Plass, J.L., Heidig, S., Hayward, E. O., Homer, B. D., & Um, E. (2014). Emotional design in multimedia learning: Effects of shape and color on affect and learning. Learning and Instruction, 29, 128-140.
- Lee, H., Plass, J.L., & Homer, B.D. (2006). Optimizing cognitive load for learning from computer-based science simulations. Journal of Educational Psychology. 902-913.
Other Projects
Project HOPE
In collaboration with Selçuk Şirin, Jan L. Plass, NYU; Sinem Vatanartiran, BAU International University
Funding by the Bahcesehir Ugur Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey
Dr. Homer and his collaborators seek to support Syrian refugee children in Turkey by providing them with game-based education opportunities. The first round pilot study provided Turkish language learning, mental health interventions, executive functions training, and coding instruction to children in Urfu, Turkey. More information about this project is available here.
DE-CRUIT Program
In collaboration with Stephan Wolfert; Alisha Ali, NYU; Dawn Stern; Jason Cleveland
Funding by JM Kaplan Foundation Grant; NYU-Steinhardt Research Challenge Grant; National Endowment for the Arts
Dr. Homer and his collaborators work to scientifically evaluate the DE-CRUIT Program and coordinate performance of research and data analysis. More information about this project is available here.