Annotated Bibliography

 

Annotated Bibliography

Al-Azawi, R., Al-Faliti, F., & Al-Blushi, M. (2016). Educational gamification vs. game based learning: Comparative study. International journal of innovation, management and technology, 7(4), 132-136.

• Differentiates between Gamification, Game-Based Learning, and Educational Games by defining clear criteria for each category

• Provides an in-depth comparison between objectives, techniques, benefits, and challenges of each category

Cabanilla, A. B., Batolbatol, G. B., Jacaban, F. S., & Bonotan, A. (2023). Gamified Instruction in Mathematics: A Meta-Synthesis. Human Behavior, Development & Society, 24(1).

• Explores how gamified instruction can positively impact student motivation, cognitive engagement, teamwork, collaboration, and make instruction more enjoyable

• Addresses some of the challenges of utilizing a gamified approach to math instruction from both student and teacher perspective

Divjak, B., & Tomić, D. (2011). The impact of game-based learning on the achievement of learning goals and motivation for learning mathematics-literature review. Journal of information and organizational sciences, 35(1), 15-30.

• Explores how mathematical computer games influence student motivation and attitude toward mathematics

• Explores the impact of mathematical games on realizing educational goals in learning mathematics

Drigas, A. S., & Pappas, M. A. (2015). On Line and Other Game-Based Learning for Mathematics. International Journal of Online Engineering, 11(4).

• Explores how video games can change the brain, including memory, attention, and executive control

• Discusses how simulation games, role-playing games, strategy games, mobile games, and video games have been received by math students

Harikrishnan, H., Halim, N. D. A., Harun, J., & Arjunan, S. (2019). Exploring the digital game-based elements in mathematics education: A meta-analysis review. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 7(9A), 106-116.

• Identifies which game elements are most essential for enhancing student learning and

• Explores the reasons behind why these game elements are most effective

Hui, H. B., & Mahmud, M. S. (2023). Influence of game-based learning in mathematics education on the students' cognitive and affective domain: A systematic review. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1105806.

• Explores how game-based learning affects student’s cognitive domain aspects such as Mathematical Achievement, Mathematical Skill and Achievement

• Explores how game-based learning affects student’s affective domain aspects such as attitude, motivation, Interest, and Involvement

Hwa, S. P. (2018). Pedagogical change in mathematics learning: Harnessing the power of digital game-based learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 21(4), 259-276.

• Discusses the pitfalls of a traditional approach to teaching mathematics and why it requires an update to better engage students

• Explains how game-based learning and technology can represent the future of education in the 21st century

Kang, H. (2015). How game-based learning can support strong math practices. MIND Research Institute Blog. https://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/game-based-learning-infographic 

• Provides a great infographic that illustrates why gamifying math is an effective strategy 

Ku, O., Chen, S. Y., Wu, D. H., Lao, A. C., & Chan, T. W. (2014). The effects of game-based learning on mathematical confidence and performance: High ability vs. low ability. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 17(3), 65-78.

• Explores how mathematical games impact student confidence for low-ability and high-ability students

• Explores how mathematical games impact student performance for low-ability and high-ability students

Ramli, I. S. M., Maat, S. M., & Khalid, F. (2020). Game based learning and student motivation in mathematics. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 9(2).

• Discusses why our current way of teaching math requires an update and why game-based learning has the potential to revolutionize math education

Teaching By Science. Game based learning in math. (2022). https://www.teachingbyscience.com/game-based-learning-in-math 

• Provides visual ranking for the effect size of game-based learning by grade level

ter Vrugte, J., de Jong, T., Vandercruysse, S., Wouters, P., Van Oostendorp, H., & Elen, J. (2015). How competition and heterogeneous collaboration interact in prevocational game-based mathematics education. Computers & education, 89, 42-52.

• Explores how competition and collaboration interact with game-based learning and which types of game problems can promote them

• Explores how these effects can differ for below-average and above-average students

White, K., & McCoy, L. P. (2019). Effects of game-based learning on attitude and achievement in elementary mathematics. Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research, 21(1), 1-17.

• Analyzes student testimony in math classes before and after implementing game-based learning

• Explores how mathematical games can facilitate growth mindsets

Exit Slip #6

Hello twins.

The following is a progress update on my Inquiry 1 Project. During this work time, I mostly worked on finalizing my selection of sources and creating the APA citations in the proper format. 

The first draft title of my Inquiry Project was Gamifying the Math Classroom. My focus was on how to make learning math more fun for students. Upon reviewing many articles, I found a clear divide between gamification in education and game-based learning. I understand that gamification involves using game-like elements such as point systems, leaderboards, and other incentives. Game-based learning aims to make content more interesting by adding fun to the learning process. My classrooms often had elements of both. For example, gamification looked like having students form teams at their table groups and having a points system leaderboard related to the performance/behaviour of group members. However, these were often used in tandem with game-based learning approaches. My focus for this project will narrow to Game-Based Learning in Math Education, which has gained considerable momentum in recent years. I attended the online math conference last weekend and there several speakers discussing this very topic. Most speakers had released books on math games which I would like to read in the future.

My annotated bibliography primarily consists of academic sources discussing the effects of game-based on a variety of outcome measures. These include aspects such as motivation, engagement, competition, collaboration, attitude, achievement and student involvement. Sources that conducted meta-analyses on game-based learning studies reported findings that support this idea. The sources see game-based learning as being a beneficial addition to the math classroom by providing a twist to the more traditional approaches. It is often used to complement or replace more passive methods of instruction, often trying to strike a balance between learning objectives and student enjoyment. My non-academic sources were often accompanied by visual media such as graphics or charts which I found to be useful.

Thanks for reading,

Josh

Entrance Slip: Kathryn Rickett Article Response

 I chose to read Kathryn Rickett’s piece: “Bitter Toughness Meets Fierce Love: Narratives Unwrapped from Teen Mothers’ High School Experiences”.  

I was struck by Kathryn’s description of unexpectedly becoming the subject of (re)search in this project. As teachers, modern pedagogies place teachers as both the source and transmitter of knowledge – there are few teachers who meaningfully see their students as sources for knowledge, or that they (the teacher) will have opportunities to learn during class. In this piece, Kathryn quickly realizes that not only is this possible, but it is necessary for her to connect with the mothers participating in her project. Additionally, the unique needs and confidence of the participating mothers meant that the way forward would not follow any sort of prescribed schedule. By acknowledging the role that these mothers play in their own learning, the burden of ‘teacher’ was shared by all in a flexible, intuitive way. This defies traditional (colonial) ways of knowing and interacting with experience/knowledge. With an understanding that all research is subjective, we embrace and embody our work so as to shed ourselves of expectations.

It also strikes me how desirable the culture Kathryn helped cultivate sounds for any student, not just those who are steeped in the responsibility of caring for another person. When teachers/facilitators wonder: “What are [my students] stories?”, a dialogue can begin that is devoid of expectation. If teachers really mean this question, we won’t be asking it with the intention of leveraging the student’s story to suite our own vision of their learning. Rather, it offers us a way to ‘meet the student where they are’. It is the first step towards understanding and meeting a student’s unique needs.

I’m very interested to hear how Kathryn describes the role of teachers in classrooms with cultures such as this.

Entrance Slip #5

Hello twins.

First of all, this line that Dr. Rickett wrote was so powerful:

We undoubtedly had intermingling souls and thus his expressions and invitations to movement were easily caught by me like a delicate net catching exotic butterflies.

Such a moving reading and hearing Jorge's story was quite a powerful experience. I felt like a movie-length film had played out in my mind.

I could see the lineup of plush monkeys on the bed and how they might have looked precariously balanced on top of the coffin. They added a whimsical touch to a tragic story and gave the reader hope as they accompanied him into the afterlife. They provided a vessel for juxtaposing deep sorrow and grief with a subtle playfulness. I strongly resonate with attempting to keep a light heart amid the struggles of life and the impact it can have. It's interesting to consider how these 'monkeys' might show up in our own lives. We will all face great challenges and have to find our own personal ways of coping & processing with what life throws at us.

Just wanted to end with another quote that really caught me on first read.

Voices that hide under beds and in closets and need to be coaxed out in ways I had never imagined.

Thanks for reading,

Josh

Exit Slip #8

Hello twins.

The title of my inquiry-one project is Game-Based Learning in Math Education. I chose this topic because I want to explore how we can make learning math more fun for students. I experimented with this approach during my short practicum and received positive feedback. I'm interested in creating a more engaging learning environment appealing to general game principles. My goal is to have students enjoy learning math by reducing levels of math anxiety/phobia.

Thanks for reading,

Josh

Inquiry Project Outline

Hello twins.

For my Inquiry Project, I want to explore gamification in math education. So many students dread learning & practicing math and I will be researching how we can lower math anxiety to make students enjoy learning math. Games provide a more appealing approach to student learning which can lower the point of entry for students and increase overall engagement. An analogy that comes to mind is how parents sneak vegetables into their kids' meals by disguising them in subtle ways. With how popular video & online games are with the upcoming generation, I believe that gamifying certain aspects of the math classroom could have positive benefits for student learning and engagement. An initial seed that led me to this topic was considering how we could make the task of completing a list of textbook exercises more enjoyable. Assigning a list of textbook exercises for students to complete is common in many math classes and I want to consider how we could make this act more interesting to students. An initial idea I had was an interactive online resource where students could view/answer questions to accumulate points and unlock new features by levelling up. They can also view various analytics and quantitative data about their performance in an interactive online profile. This would have certain similarities to some of the more addicting mobile apps such as Candy Crush, which capitalize on certain qualities we all share.

Thanks for reading,

Josh