Design matters: explorations of content and design in fraction games

The goal of the current study was to contribute to our emergent understanding of whether and how particular types of digital games can support student learning and engagement. We focused on commercially available educational apps that focused on similar content (fraction comparison and equivalence)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational technology research and development 2018-06, Vol.66 (3), p.579-596
Main Authors: Gresalfi, Melissa Sommerfeld, Rittle-Johnson, Bethany, Loehr, Abbey, Nichols, Isaac
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Analysis
Computer Games
Computer Oriented Programs
Design
Education
Educational Games
Educational Technology
Elementary School Mathematics
Elementary School Students
Fractions
Games
Grade 3
Knowledge
Knowledge Level
Learner Engagement
Learning and Instruction
Mathematics Activities
Mathematics Instruction
Mathematics Skills
Mixed methods research
RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Summary:The goal of the current study was to contribute to our emergent understanding of whether and how particular types of digital games can support student learning and engagement. We focused on commercially available educational apps that focused on similar content (fraction comparison and equivalence) but represented extremes in how game-like they were (games vs. worksheets). Third-grade students (n = 95) worked on the apps for an hour in their math classrooms. Students preformed equally well on a paper-and-pencil assessment, but students' enjoyment of the games was significantly higher. Student interviews indicated that students who played the games noticed the mathematics content in the games, sometimes linking it to the game mechanics, noticed the relevance of the game for the assessment and talked about enjoying the games. Findings suggest that exploratory games that implicitly support mathematics knowledge can improve students' math knowledge outside of the game context and improve student engagement.
ISSN:1042-1629
1556-6501
DOI:10.1007/s11423-017-9557-7