Mapping Learning to Game Mechanics and Beyond

TL;DR

A game is being developed to teach fractions and decimals, targeting the challenge of understanding and misconceptions surrounding these concepts.

Transcript

okay welcome everyone to today's seminar so it's my pleasure to introduce kristen kiel who is here from finland so he's actually visiting scholar the H star institute for a year back in Finland he is at the temple university of technology where he is leading the game lab they are he has a PhD in educational game design and his primary interests are... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🏫 Fractions are a challenging concept to teach, and even teachers struggle with understanding and teaching them.
• 👾 The game is designed to address misconceptions about fractions and provide a more effective learning experience.
• 👾 User interface design, embodied cognition, and learning analytics are important factors considered in developing the game.
• 👾 Feedback, visualizations, and hints are used in the game to address misconceptions and guide understanding.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does the game help in teaching fractions effectively?

The game uses various mechanics and approaches to ensure that players understand the concepts, such as integrating number lines and fractions, addressing misconceptions, and creating cognitive conflicts to challenge thinking.

Q: How does the game handle misconceptions about fractions?

The game detects and addresses misconceptions by providing feedback, visualizations, and hints to players. It also collects data for research and provides insights into common misconceptions.

Q: Is the game suitable for classroom use?

Yes, the game is designed to support teachers by providing analytics, assessment tools, and suggested activities. It can be integrated into classroom teaching to supplement traditional methods.

Q: Are there any plans for further research and testing?

Yes, the game will be distributed widely for research purposes, collecting data from different cultural contexts. Researchers are also working on creating a video game study service for teachers to use the game in their classrooms.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker shares a personal experience of being tricked with fractions to highlight the difficulties in understanding them.

• The current education system struggles with teaching fractions and even teachers have misconceptions about them.

• The game being developed aims to teach fractions more effectively than traditional teaching methods and address misconceptions.