learning patterns for the design and deployment of mathematical games: research methods and findings

Project of two halves

Design strand• Development of design patterns for the

mathematical games • Determine the potential implications of

their use for the construction of mathematical games.

• Guidelines for good practice in designing games in education

Project of two halvesDeployment strand• University of Warwick, Freudenthal Instituut,

London Knowledge Lab and University of Athens deploy and research the use of a chosen game in classrooms.

• Each of the partners write a case study describing and analysing that experience

• Guidelines for good practice in designing games in education disseminated.

Demarcation• Initial overlap between “design” and

“deployment” (design includes test phase – i.e. deployment is part of development)

• Deployment defined as the integration by the teacher within their learning programme, i.e. once it leaves the design process.

• Problematic?

Development steps

• Literature review

• Mind maps

• Typologies

• Case studies

• Design patterns

• Guidelines for good practice (design,deployment)

Categories

Categories determined in face-to-face meeting.• Mathematical content• Learning and instruction• Educational content• Games• Interface and interaction• Software design

Mind maps

Typologies

Mind maps used to:

• develop typologies

• Establish metadata for case studies

• http://lp.noe-kaleidoscope.org/workspace/cases/ChanceMaker/

Case studies

• Shared pre-existing case studies

• Each partner also uses pre-existing games in new setting

• Warwick using Juggler and ChanceMaker microworlds

Case study methodology

• Questionnaires for teachers

• Observe classroom interactions

• Interview teachers about process of– Selection of game– Creation of learning activities around game– Issues around deployment– Effectiveness of learning experience

Initial findings

Literature review – • Educational context / supporting learning

activities highly important• “A game is just an excuse for debriefing”• Time in classroom needs to be focused on

curriculum content, not in learning the game• Wide variety of barriers that need to be

addressed

First impressionsDeployment occurring throughout June. Initial

feedback includes• Difficulties with installing game and platforms• Games expected to be intuitively obvious to

use• Cannot always see alignment with curriculum• Enthusiasm for concept of gaming to support

education• Value of having tips for classroom activities

Caveats

• Self-selected sample

• Highly interpretivist

• Small sample size

• Short time-scale

• Not generalisable

• Aim is to identify potential issues

Next step

Develop design patterns

• Identify characteristics of games and their deployment

• Identify relationships between characteristics

• Look for elaborations and instantiations