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Developing and evaluating a microworld game for the teaching of matrix mathematics
Mathematics education typically fails to consider the workplace context of mathematics, incurring significant economic costs and leaving workers ill-prepared for professional demands. This failure is apparent in the games industry where developers need to apply complex mathematics to the creation of...
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| Format: | Default Thesis |
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2024
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.26174/thesis.lboro.26874820.v1 |
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| Summary: | Mathematics education typically fails to consider the workplace context of mathematics, incurring significant economic costs and leaving workers ill-prepared for professional demands. This failure is apparent in the games industry where developers need to apply complex mathematics to the creation of real-time graphical applications. Game-based learning is often harnessed for teaching mathematics and can provide authentic contexts for its application. However, designing effective game-based learning is not straightforward and limited research has been conducted for degree-level mathematics topics. In response, this thesis has created a conceptual framework designed to facilitate the development of game-based learning applications, incorporating microworlds, scaffolding, and the transfer of learning to workplace contexts. To assess and refine this framework, a game prototype was developed focused on teaching matrix mathematics to undergraduate game development students. This prototype was created using a design-based research approach, within the unique context of an apprenticeship program at a large professional game studio.The initial prototype underwent domain analysis derived from interviews with professional game developers and university lecturers. This helped to inform the balance between the contrasting demands of microworlds, scaffolding and transfer. Several cycles of iterative development were undertaken to refine these aspects alongside the interface and puzzle progression.Two main qualitative studies were conducted to evaluate the game pedagogically, incorporating a C++ transfer activity to examine the transfer of player’s learning from the game into a workplace context. The studies highlighted the significance of the microworld, emphasizing immediate feedback for effective learning. Scaffolding also contributed to its efficacy, including colour coding, puzzle sequencing, and a tutorial system. Multiple representations, such as the matrix stack and in-world depictions, facilitated learners in calculating values without relying on trial and error. The grid also played a crucial role, serving as both scaffolding and a representation of the world, leading learners to form a meta-representation around it. The C++ activity emerged as a valuable metric, revealing participants' practical understanding development while demonstrating some challenges in transitioning to a deeper conceptual understanding.In summary, the creation and evaluation of the prototype game clearly demonstrated the utility of the conceptual framework. The framework's components aligned with existing literature, and the exemplar game provided unexpected evidence supporting the effectiveness of dyna-linking. Limitations and future work are discussed. |
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