Lesson 12: Game-based Learning

Identify a user and define a problem that you want to address. You and your partner must come up with one user and problem to address.

needs

because

user

user's needs

insight

ideate

Write/Sketch at least four innovative ways to address your user's needs. Be specific with your measurements and/or proportions, if needed.

Share your ideas with your partner. Get feedback. Then generate a unified. Sketch your unified solution below.

Unified Solution

Prototype

Create a prototype of your unified solution.

Test

Share your prototype with a user. Write your observations below.

What worked:

"'V'

What can be improved: More ideas:

A

TV

Summary

Design thinking is a contemporary teaching strategy that fosters creativity by allowing students to come up with concrete and tangible solutions to authentic problems that the students themselves identified.

Objective

Develop a game to motivate students, cater mathematical investigation, or practice a mathematical skill

Intro duction

Play is children's work and they love it! Well-designed lessons using game-based learning strategy takes advantage of children's natural love for play to lead them toward complex problem-solving.

T h i n k

Children find games both motivating and enjoyable, so it is not a surprise that teachers harness games to cater to learning. There are many ways in which games are used in the classroom. Games are sometimes used as lesson starters to get the students engaged. In some lessons, games are used to explore mathematical concepts and processes or cater mathematical investigation. But most of the time, games are used to practice mathematical skills.

Not only do games make the lesson engaging for young learners but they also create a relaxed environment in a mathematics class. Games associate mathematics with positive feelings like excitement, victory, and fun competition. So, students who might have developed mathematics anxiety, or those who simply "hate" math, might begin to open up and be more receptive. The students' love for play may translate to love for math. Moreover, games give a venue for students to communicate and defend their ideas while at the same time learning from each other in a fear-free environment. And because in every game a goal has to be achieved, students naturally develop strategic and creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Games that require students to work in groups advance their social skills as well.

However, not all games that involve mathematical processes are considered to have instructional value. For example, the game of Monopoly involves computations and strategies to maximize scores, but it is considered to have little instructional

value. According to Koay Phong Lee (1996) in his article "The Use of Mathematical Games in Teaching Primary Mathematics" a game that has instructional value has the following characteristics:

1. The game has two or more opposing teams

2. The game has a goal and the players have to make a finite number of moves to reach the goal stated. Each move is the result of a decision made.

3. There is a set of rules that govern decision-making.

4. The rules are based on mathematical ideas.

5. The game ends when the goal is reached.

The 4th characteristic is what separates mathematical games from other games. This suggests that a good mathematical game is not only about "having fun" but also about "doing math" in itself.

A teacher has three important tasks in a lesson that implements game-based learning strategy: (1) lay down rules clearly, (2) observe, assess, and process students' understanding, and (3) work with students who need additional help.

Experience

Following a guessing game to develop the students' sense of weight. Weight is probably the most abstract measurement for children because they do not see it (unlike length and area). This game will help them makes sense of weight.

Topic:

Estimating weight

Materials (for each pair of players):

1. Weighing scale

2. Various objects (may be brought by students)

Mechanics:

1. Before the game starts, let the students carry a 1 kg weight and a 500 g weight. Providing this experience will give the students a basis for their estimates.

2. Divide the class into two groups.

4. In each turn, the guessing team will announce their estimate then the other group will say whether they think the actual object weighs higher or lower than their opponent's estimate.

5. If the non-guessing team's answer is correct, they get the point. Otherwise, the guessing team earns the point.

6. For the students to have a basis of their estimate, pass the object around before the guessing starts in each turn.

Some students might want to go back to carrying 1 kg or 500 g and then compare it to the given. This may be allowed for the first 2 items. The game may be modified to accommodate other measurements like length, area, or volume.

A sse ss

Answer the following questions to verbalize your understanding of game-based learning.

1. What are the benefits of using games in mathematics lessons?

2. What do you think are some disadvantages of game-based learning strategy?