Current research shows that digital games can significantly enhance children's learning. The purpose of this study was to examine how design features in 12 digital math games influenced children's learning. The participants in this study were 193 children in Grades 2 through 6 (ages 8-12). During clinical interviews, children in the study completed pre-tests, interacted with digital math games, responded to questions about the digital math games, and completed posttests. We recorded the interactions using two video perspectives that recorded children's gameplay and responses to interviewers. We employed mixed methods to analyze the data and identify salient patterns in children's experiences with the digital math games. The analysis revealed significant gains for 9 of the 12 digital games and most children were aware of the design features in the games. There were eight prominent categories of design features in the video data that supported learning and mathematics connections. Six categories focused on how the design features supported learning in the digital games. These categories included: accuracy feedback, unlimited/multiple attempts, information tutorials and hints, focused constraint, progressive levels, and game efficiency. Two categories were more specific to embodied cognition and action with the mathematics, and focused on how design features promoted mathematics connections. These categories included: linked representations and linked physical actions. The digital games in this study that did not include linked representations and opportunities for linked physical actions as design features did not produce significant gains. These results suggest the key role of mathematics-specific design features in the design of digital math games. Highlights Children made significant learning gains when using 9 of the 12 digital math games Children's awareness of the mathematics in digital math games impacted learning Eight categories of game design features supported children's learning Learning gains were tied to design features that linked representations to the mathematics Learning gains were tied to design features that linked physical actions to the mathematics
Logical statements are prevalent in mathematics, the sciences, law, and many areas of everyday life. The most common logical statements are conditionals, which have the form "If H…, then C…," where "H" is a hypothesis (or condition) to be satisfied and "C" is a conclusion to follow. Reasoning about conditionals depends on four main conditional contexts (e.g., intuitive, abstract, symbolic, or counterintuitive). The purpose of this study was to test a theory about the effects of context ordering on reasoning about conditionals. Researchers developed and tested a virtual manipulative mathematics app, called the Learning Logic App. This study addressed the question: "How does the order of teaching four conditional contexts influence reasoning about conditionals?" A total of 154 participants, randomly assigned to a context ordering, interacted with the Learning Logic App online. Researchers collected data using a Conditional Logic Assessment, score logs, and participant surveys. The results suggest that context ordering does influence learners' reasoning. The most beneficial context ordering for learners' performance was symbolic-intuitive-abstract-counterintuitive. The most beneficial context ordering according to learners' perceptions was intuitive-abstract-counterintuitivesymbolic. Based on these results, researchers propose that the symbolic-intuitive-abstractcounterintuitive-symbolic ordeing may be most effective for learning about conditionals. This progression incorporates a catalyst at the beginning (symbolic) which aids the learner in reassessing prior knowledge. Next, the ordering progresses from easiest to hardest (intuitiveabstract-counterintuitive-symbolic). These findings suggest the importance of the sequencing for teaching and learning to reason about conditionals. Research Question 1: How does the order of teaching four conditional contexts using the Learning Logic App influence learners' performance on the Conditional Logic Assessment? Research Question 2: What are learners' perceptions about how the order of teaching four conditional contexts influenced their performance on reasoning about conditionals? Research Design The research design for this study was a convergent parallel mixed methods design [25] that included the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. This design was chosen to provide a more complete understanding of participants' experiences with the different context
Four components of a project (research, design, oral presentation, and technical report) teach students to interact better with the material and improve their technical communication skills.
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