M. Wijers, V. Jonker, and K. Kerstens. Proceedings of the European Conference on Game Based Learning, Barcelona, page 507--516. (2008)
Abstract
Computer games appear to be able to engage students in meaningful learning, inside as
well as outside of school. Mobile games, especially location-based games played on mobile phones
with GPS, integrate the player's position into the game-play and thus support situative learning. This
type of games can augment the reality by adding 'virtual elements' to it. In this paper we discuss the
results of a pilot study on MobileMath, a location-based mobile game that integrates concepts from
mathematics and geography.
MobileMath is played on a mobile phone with a GPS receiver. It is designed to investigate how a
modern, social type of game can contribute to students engagement in learning mathematics. Teams
compete on the playing field by gaining points by covering as much area as possible. They do this by
constructing squares, rectangles or parallelograms by physically walking to and clicking on each
vertex (point). The shapes they construct are virtual elements added to the real world. As the game
proceeds the free playing space gets smaller. It is possible to 'hinder' other teams and to deconstruct
the shapes they made, points are gained by this also. During the game, in real-time the locations of all
teams and all finished quadrilaterals are visible on each mobile phone. The game data are stored
online and can be viewed back and discussed later.
In this pilot study the usability of MobileMath was tested with three different secondary schools. Four
one-hour games, each with seven or eight teams of two students (n=60), were played around the
schools. Data were gathered by means of (participatory) observation, analysis of the games played, a
survey and interviews with students and teachers.
The results show highly motivated students, who enjoyed playing the game. Students indicated they
learned to use the GPS, to read a map and how to construct quadrilaterals.
%0 Conference Paper
%1 wijers2008mobilemath
%A Wijers, M.
%A Jonker, V.
%A Kerstens, K.
%B Proceedings of the European Conference on Game Based Learning, Barcelona
%D 2008
%K education games learning mathematics maths mlearning mobile
%P 507--516
%T MobileMath: the Phone, the Game and the Math
%U http://www.fi.uu.nl/isdde/documents/curriculum_jonker.pdf
%X Computer games appear to be able to engage students in meaningful learning, inside as
well as outside of school. Mobile games, especially location-based games played on mobile phones
with GPS, integrate the player's position into the game-play and thus support situative learning. This
type of games can augment the reality by adding 'virtual elements' to it. In this paper we discuss the
results of a pilot study on MobileMath, a location-based mobile game that integrates concepts from
mathematics and geography.
MobileMath is played on a mobile phone with a GPS receiver. It is designed to investigate how a
modern, social type of game can contribute to students engagement in learning mathematics. Teams
compete on the playing field by gaining points by covering as much area as possible. They do this by
constructing squares, rectangles or parallelograms by physically walking to and clicking on each
vertex (point). The shapes they construct are virtual elements added to the real world. As the game
proceeds the free playing space gets smaller. It is possible to 'hinder' other teams and to deconstruct
the shapes they made, points are gained by this also. During the game, in real-time the locations of all
teams and all finished quadrilaterals are visible on each mobile phone. The game data are stored
online and can be viewed back and discussed later.
In this pilot study the usability of MobileMath was tested with three different secondary schools. Four
one-hour games, each with seven or eight teams of two students (n=60), were played around the
schools. Data were gathered by means of (participatory) observation, analysis of the games played, a
survey and interviews with students and teachers.
The results show highly motivated students, who enjoyed playing the game. Students indicated they
learned to use the GPS, to read a map and how to construct quadrilaterals.
@inproceedings{wijers2008mobilemath,
abstract = {Computer games appear to be able to engage students in meaningful learning, inside as
well as outside of school. Mobile games, especially location-based games played on mobile phones
with GPS, integrate the player's position into the game-play and thus support situative learning. This
type of games can augment the reality by adding 'virtual elements' to it. In this paper we discuss the
results of a pilot study on MobileMath, a location-based mobile game that integrates concepts from
mathematics and geography.
MobileMath is played on a mobile phone with a GPS receiver. It is designed to investigate how a
modern, social type of game can contribute to students engagement in learning mathematics. Teams
compete on the playing field by gaining points by covering as much area as possible. They do this by
constructing squares, rectangles or parallelograms by physically walking to and clicking on each
vertex (point). The shapes they construct are virtual elements added to the real world. As the game
proceeds the free playing space gets smaller. It is possible to 'hinder' other teams and to deconstruct
the shapes they made, points are gained by this also. During the game, in real-time the locations of all
teams and all finished quadrilaterals are visible on each mobile phone. The game data are stored
online and can be viewed back and discussed later.
In this pilot study the usability of MobileMath was tested with three different secondary schools. Four
one-hour games, each with seven or eight teams of two students (n=60), were played around the
schools. Data were gathered by means of (participatory) observation, analysis of the games played, a
survey and interviews with students and teachers.
The results show highly motivated students, who enjoyed playing the game. Students indicated they
learned to use the GPS, to read a map and how to construct quadrilaterals. },
added-at = {2011-08-03T15:49:33.000+0200},
author = {Wijers, M. and Jonker, V. and Kerstens, K.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/25a491831fe94b76d4130dade8f3e76ee/yish},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the European Conference on Game Based Learning, Barcelona},
interhash = {42977bbe62a6727dd1860a5505770f0d},
intrahash = {5a491831fe94b76d4130dade8f3e76ee},
keywords = {education games learning mathematics maths mlearning mobile},
pages = {507--516},
timestamp = {2011-08-03T15:49:33.000+0200},
title = {MobileMath: the Phone, the Game and the Math},
url = {http://www.fi.uu.nl/isdde/documents/curriculum_jonker.pdf},
year = 2008
}