Exploring the Educational Potential of a Game-Based Math Competition

2022 ◽  
pp. 1173-1189
Author(s):  
Kristian Kiili ◽  
Kai Ojansuu ◽  
Antero Lindstedt ◽  
Manuel Ninaus

The main aim of this article was to investigate the educational potential of a game-based math game competition to engage students in training rational numbers. Finnish fourth (n = 59; Mage = 10.36) and sixth graders (n = 105; Mage = 12.34) participated in a math game competition relying on intra-classroom cooperation and inter-classroom competition. During a three-week period, the students were allowed to play a digital rational number game, which is founded on number line estimation task mechanics. The results indicated that students benefited significantly from participating in the competition and playing behaviour could be used to assess students rational number knowledge. Moreover, students were engaged in the competition and the results revealed that intrinsically motivating factors such as enjoyment and perceived learning gains predicted students' willingness to participate in math game competitions again. This article provides empirical support that educational game competition can be an effective, engaging, and a fair instructional approach.

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 14-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristian Kiili ◽  
Kai Ojansuu ◽  
Antero Lindstedt ◽  
Manuel Ninaus

The main aim of this article was to investigate the educational potential of a game-based math game competition to engage students in training rational numbers. Finnish fourth (n = 59; Mage = 10.36) and sixth graders (n = 105; Mage = 12.34) participated in a math game competition relying on intra-classroom cooperation and inter-classroom competition. During a three-week period, the students were allowed to play a digital rational number game, which is founded on number line estimation task mechanics. The results indicated that students benefited significantly from participating in the competition and playing behaviour could be used to assess students rational number knowledge. Moreover, students were engaged in the competition and the results revealed that intrinsically motivating factors such as enjoyment and perceived learning gains predicted students' willingness to participate in math game competitions again. This article provides empirical support that educational game competition can be an effective, engaging, and a fair instructional approach.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy I. Dyson ◽  
Nancy C. Jordan ◽  
Jessica Rodrigues ◽  
Christina Barbieri ◽  
Luke Rinne

The efficacy of a research-based fraction sense intervention for sixth graders with or at risk for mathematics difficulties ( N = 52) was examined. The intervention aimed to build understanding of fraction magnitudes on the number line. Key concepts were taught with a narrow range of denominators to develop deep understanding. The intervention was centered on a visual number line in the meaningful context of a color run race. Students were randomly assigned to the fraction sense intervention ( n = 25) or a business-as-usual control group ( n = 27). Students in the intervention condition received 21 lessons in small groups (45 min each) during their regular mathematics intervention period. Students in the intervention group performed significantly better than those in the control group on a measure of fraction number line estimation and a more general measure of fraction concepts, both at immediate posttest and delayed posttest, with large effect sizes; lesser effects were shown for fraction arithmetic.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Bahnmueller ◽  
Stefan Huber ◽  
Korbinian Moeller ◽  
Hans-Christoph Nuerk

2021 ◽  
pp. 001440292110088
Author(s):  
Madhavi Jayanthi ◽  
Russell Gersten ◽  
Robin F. Schumacher ◽  
Joseph Dimino ◽  
Keith Smolkowski ◽  
...  

Using a randomized controlled trial, we examined the effect of a fractions intervention for students experiencing mathematical difficulties in Grade 5. Students who were eligible for the study ( n = 205) were randomly assigned to intervention and comparison conditions, blocked by teacher. The intervention used systematic, explicit instruction and relied on linear representations (e.g., Cuisenaire Rods and number lines) to demonstrate key fractions concepts. Enhancing students’ mathematical explanations was also a focus. Results indicated that intervention students significantly outperformed students from the comparison condition on measures of fractions proficiency and understanding ( g = 0.66–0.78), number line estimation ( g = 0.80–1.08), fractions procedures ( g = 1.07), and explanation tasks ( g = 0.68–1.23). Findings suggest that interventions designed to include explicit instruction, along with consistent use of the number line and opportunities to explain reasoning, can promote students’ proficiency and understanding of fractions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 1467-1484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Schneider ◽  
Simon Merz ◽  
Johannes Stricker ◽  
Bert De Smedt ◽  
Joke Torbeyns ◽  
...  

The purpose of the article is to diagnose the attitude of pupils to geography classes at general educational institutions and identify the main motivating factors of its learning, depending on the pupils’ age and place of residence. Main material. The diagnosis of motives for studying geography was preceded by a clarification of the attitude of pupils to this subject. Pupils were asked to name their favourite school subjects and the results of the survey were used to calculate the rating of disciplines. For sixth-graders in rural and urban schools, geography ranked first, for seventh– and eighth-graders, and for rural ninth- and tenth-graders, it ranked second. For city ninth- and tenth-graders, geography took third place in the ranking of school subjects. The article presents the rating of school geography among other subjects on the basis of a questionnaire survey conducted in 2018/2019 academic year among 1163 respondents, who are the pupils of 6-11 grades at general educational institutions in Lviv region. The research analyzes positive and negative motivational factors of learning geography, depending on age and place of pupils’ residence. The results are interpreted in the context of the popular theory of self-determination developed by E. Deci and R. Ryan. Conclusions and further research. The research, conducted among the pupils studying geography at school, in a particular region of Ukraine, showed the highest rating of this subject among other school disciplines and the positive attitude towards it (more than 75% of the pupils who participated in the study). The degree of interest in geography is affected by the age of the pupils and the type of area in which the pupils live: the highest rank of favourable attitude to the subject was shown by rural pupils and pupils who are studying natural courses of the discipline (grades 6–7). The leading factors of a positive attitude to geography depend on the content of this subject and modern forms of studying it, which ultimately contributes to the formation of internal motivation for cognition. The results of an empirical study can be used to develop psychological, pedagogical and methodological models for teaching geography in different classes of general educational institutions.


2015 ◽  
pp. 399-412
Author(s):  
Robert J. Werner ◽  
Yu Kobayashi

This paper discusses theory and practice related to self-access and metacognitive awareness in young learners. While still an emerging field, the paper presents several studies that describe young learners’ self-access through playing online multi-player digital games, watching TV/films, and reading various types of texts. The teaching of metacognitive awareness, or ‘learning how to learn’, is also discussed, and examples illustrate how this knowledge is applied to learning both in class and beyond. The latter part of this paper describes elementary English instruction in Japan and includes practical applications of learning how to learn through examples from a Japanese sixth grade English class. The students discuss motivating factors beyond the classroom, how they access metacognitive knowledge, and strategies they apply to better learn English.


2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 1493-1502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna L. Wall ◽  
Clarissa A. Thompson ◽  
John Dunlosky ◽  
William E. Merriman

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