Transforming learning and assessment through didactic games in virtual calculus classroom

Project leader(s): Ivan Sudakow Andrey Umerski
Theme: Technologies for STEM learning
Faculty: STEM
Status: Current
Dates: May 2023 to July 2024

Didactic games can be a valuable tool that, when coupled with traditional lectures, allows the student to become immersed in the subject, creating a kinetic and energetic environment that will not only help to learn but spark interest in mathematics. However, distance learning students may obviously gain less benefits from the didactic games due to missing the interactive component.

In this scholarship project, we explore:

What are the most effective games and their assessment methods that could be used in learning calculus?
How to develop an online game designed to teach the tenets of calculus through storytelling, problem-solving, and self-motivation which can expand a set of existing didactic games?
Can calculus games increase intrinsic student motivation in the subject in a distance learning environment?

To help with each of these problems, we will ask students of the modules in math and engineering to voluntarily play online games in order to help them consolidate knowledge of the calculus concept (MST125, Essential mathematics 2 (1000 students)) or recall the calculus techniques (MST224, Mathematical methods (700 students) and T272, Core engineering B (500 students)). The games will be hosted on an external web platform. Students will have opportunities to review the games via surveys administered throughout the web platform.

The project team with the collaboration of module chairs and Associate Lecturers (ALs) will explore ways to encourage students to take part in playing and providing feedback and will find the most targeted groups. The pool of games will include the content developed by the project lead in the past, the archive of Maths and Stats school games that will be digitized, and the games obtained as a result of scholarship exchange.

Based on the results of the research we will give recommendations to academic staff about online games perception in a distance learning environment and the further needs in gamification of OU maths modules. We will also make a comprehensive analysis (manuscript) of the approaches to gamification in traditional and virtual classrooms.