Dive Brief:
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Transforming math learning into a fun activity can help create more active learning experiences in curriculum for students of any age, from elementary students learning foundational skills and fluency to secondary learners in algebra or advanced math courses.
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Incorporating games in lessons can bring about particular benefits that include making the subject more engaging, encouraging collaboration and boosting self-esteem, particularly as students advance, said Enrique Galindo, president of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.
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Educators should "make sure that they are not using games just for the sake of engaging their students in fun activities,” Galindo said. “They need to carefully analyze what the students will be gaining in terms of either cognitive or effective benefits.”
Dive Insight:
Galindo, an associate professor of mathematics education at the Indiana University School of Education, said that before educators bring games into their classrooms, they need to do a bit of work themselves.
First, they should assess the quality of the game they’re considering, become fluent with how the game works, and understand how the game — and playing it — will dovetail with what they want to teach. While some educators may consider creating their own games, Galindo cautions against this.
“Creating games and planning for the use of games is time-consuming, so it may be better not to add this as another demand on teacher’s time, and instead use already existing games,” Galindo said.
He also suggests educators should not adopt games to embed basic math facts or formulas, but to help students learn “procedural fluency” in mathematics.
“Procedural fluency includes being able to use procedures in a flexible and accurate way, knowing when using a procedure is appropriate, and building procedures from other procedures,” Galindo said.
He also noted that there is still a “misconception” around math learning, that it’s about students having stronger recall of facts. Instead, he said, mathematical understanding begins when students can bring learning from one area to another, so they discover when and how to apply an approach to a specific problem.
He also encourages teachers to assess whether the game they're considering allows this kind of learning or not.
“When selecting games, it is important that teachers vet them to make sure the games can develop procedural fluency and conceptual understanding of mathematics, and not just recalling facts without meaning.”
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