Game-based Learning in Mathematics
- shirleysinacore844
- Oct 8, 2021
- 1 min read
In today’s world, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t play games. Games come in all varieties and styles – from simple one-person player games to multi-player games. Some games are played just for fun and some are played that involve teams playing against each other. Colleges have even gotten into the Esports arena through major game competitions with other colleges. But does gaming belong in the classroom?
The term “serious gaming” has been coined for games that are developed to teach a student a specific concept or to have students practice a specific concept. The area of math comes to mind. There are many games out there that can be utilized in a math classroom.
The website Zombie Math (https://www.mathgames.com/play/zombiemath.html) has games for students K-12 that cover a multitude of different skills and levels. Do games of this nature have a place in the classroom?
Hey Shirley! I would argue they do! Games have a way of triggering that intrinsic motivation, now add in some educational content and I think you have a game changer. As a kid I would get sucked into math video games, one I remember from the 90's was the house that math built. You had to do the math right to get material to build a house, and I REALLY wanted to build that house. Also, my 3 year old loves Halloween, anything zombie is fun for him. He knows its not real and it adds a bit of an adrenaline rush to know that zombie is gonna get you.
Do they? What are your thoughts on this? Pros and cons? Other games that are worth considering?