Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Διδακτική και Μεθοδολογία των ΜαθηματικώνLibrary of the School of Science
Supervisors info:
Ψυχάρης Γεώργιος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Μαθηματικών, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Ψηφιακά παιχνίδια και Μαθηματικά. Αφαιρετικές διαδικασίες και χωρική αντίληψη στο περιβάλλον του παιχνιδιού The Sims.
Translated title:
Digital games and Mathematics education. Abstraction and spatial reasoning in "The Sims".
Summary:
The aim of the present study is to investigate the possible connections between mathematics and digital games. Through a review of the existing literature we analyze the relations between digital games and good learning practices. We also describe the attempts that were made during the past years in order to integrate digital games in education, especially in mathematics. Finally, through a case study with two students (12 and 14 year old respectively), we explore the ways in which a digital game environment (i.e. The Sims) affects their spatial reasoning as well as their construction of mathematical meanings when they engaged in exploring a realistic problem related to a workplace context. The problem was inspired by the Mascil program that aimed to connect inquiry-based learning and the world of work. We explore students’ meaning generation as they explore their own construction of an open parking garage in the simulating environment of The Sims. In the case of the younger student the genesis of an abstraction comes as a result of the need to find a solution which corresponds to the data of the problem. In the case of the older student we examine the implementation of school mathematics within a specific context.
Main subject category:
Science
Keywords:
Digital games, Realistic mathematical problems, Simulations, Abstraction, Mascil, The Sims
