%0 Journal Article %1 citeulike:383814 %A Murray, Megan %A Mokros, Jan %A Rubin, Andee %D 1998 %E Kapisovsky, Peggy M. %E Mayer, Kenneth %J Hands On! %K computer games mathematics %N 2 %T Where's the Math in Computer Games? %U http://www.terc.edu/handsonIssues/f98/Murray.html %V 21 %X Market research reports that families are spending an increasing amount of money on computer games that are intended to educate as well as entertain their children. "Edutainment" products that promise to beef up children's mathematics skills are proliferating. Software packages entice parents with claims such as "Makes math skills a no-brainer" and "Learn the math you need to know for real life." Bombarded by this type of marketing, many parents find it difficult to choose software that can help their children with math. So what should parents look for and expect from good math-based computer games? The critical question, one that needs more attention by software designers and educators alike, is "Where is the significant mathematics in math-based computer games?" Many games are entertaining and claim to be mathematical, but their math content is limited. They emphasize arithmetic, speed, and instant recall of facts, giving parents and children the message that computation is all there is to mathematics. Because the focus of many of these games is narrow and the presentation repetitive, many developers resort to using elaborate "bells and whistles" to keep children interested. We believe that games can be both intellectually demanding and entertaining. They have the potential to engage children in a much broader range of mathematical content, including data analysis, logic, programming, 2- and 3-D geometry, and pattern finding. Games that make playing with mathematical ideas integral to the real play of the game can provide an arena for rich mathematical problem solving, and at the same time, be fun for children. Finding such games, however, is not easy. As part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation, TERC researchers have reviewed a large set of mathematical computer games. We are studying how children interact with these games and what mathematics they learn as they play in an effort to develop some criteria for evaluating the software. To examine the games in action, we observed middle school children working with the software in informal after-school settings, where playing the games was a voluntary activity. Two of the games we observed children playing are Math Blaster: In Search of Spot, published by Davidson & Associates, and Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, developed by TERC and published by Brøderbund Software. The games have many similarities. They begin with stories that put the player in the role of savior or protector of characters introduced in the story. They involve slapstick violence, and in both games the players spend the majority of their game play on mathematics. But looking at the dialogue of a pair of children playing each game reveals differences in the type and quality of the mathematics the children are engaged with.

@article{citeulike:383814, abstract = {Market research reports that families are spending an increasing amount of money on computer games that are intended to educate as well as entertain their children. "Edutainment" products that promise to beef up children's mathematics skills are proliferating. Software packages entice parents with claims such as "Makes math skills a no-brainer" and "Learn the math you need to know for real life." Bombarded by this type of marketing, many parents find it difficult to choose software that can help their children with math. So what should parents look for and expect from good math-based computer games? The critical question, one that needs more attention by software designers and educators alike, is "Where is the significant mathematics in math-based computer games?" Many games are entertaining and claim to be mathematical, but their math content is limited. They emphasize arithmetic, speed, and instant recall of facts, giving parents and children the message that computation is all there is to mathematics. Because the focus of many of these games is narrow and the presentation repetitive, many developers resort to using elaborate "bells and whistles" to keep children interested. We believe that games can be both intellectually demanding and entertaining. They have the potential to engage children in a much broader range of mathematical content, including data analysis, logic, programming, 2- and 3-D geometry, and pattern finding. Games that make playing with mathematical ideas integral to the real play of the game can provide an arena for rich mathematical problem solving, and at the same time, be fun for children. Finding such games, however, is not easy. As part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation, TERC researchers have reviewed a large set of mathematical computer games. We are studying how children interact with these games and what mathematics they learn as they play in an effort to develop some criteria for evaluating the software. To examine the games in action, we observed middle school children working with the software in informal after-school settings, where playing the games was a voluntary activity. Two of the games we observed children playing are Math Blaster: In Search of Spot, published by Davidson \& Associates, and Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, developed by TERC and published by Brøderbund Software. The games have many similarities. They begin with stories that put the player in the role of savior or protector of characters introduced in the story. They involve slapstick violence, and in both games the players spend the majority of their game play on mathematics. But looking at the dialogue of a pair of children playing each game reveals differences in the type and quality of the mathematics the children are engaged with.}, added-at = {2007-03-30T19:17:30.000+0200}, author = {Murray, Megan and Mokros, Jan and Rubin, Andee}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2b22d5d0527788ccc6ba1288191d99207/rmosvold}, citeulike-article-id = {383814}, comment = {Criteria For Identifying Good Math Software • Is the game based on mathematical problem solving rather than drill? • Does mathematics take center stage in the software, or is mathematics treated as an obstacle to be overcome in order to win the game or get back to the real (non-mathematical) action of the game? • Are activities in the software built around a coherent and focused set of mathematical ideas, leading to progressively deeper mathematical thinking? Does the software encourage thoughtful discussion about the mathematical content of the game? • Can a range of children see their interests reflected in the game's activities? • Can children with different learning styles enter into the game's activities, or does the game encourage certain styles to the exclusion of others? • Do the software activities engage students deeply and over time, encouraging them to come back and play again? • What do you need to know in order to play the game? Can you enter the game if you are not already familiar with the mathematics involved? Can you learn or explore new mathematics?}, editor = {Kapisovsky, Peggy M. and Mayer, Kenneth}, interhash = {81421cfd171d29ecdc2791a820b5c5c9}, intrahash = {b22d5d0527788ccc6ba1288191d99207}, journal = {Hands On!}, keywords = {computer games mathematics}, number = 2, priority = {2}, timestamp = {2007-03-30T19:17:30.000+0200}, title = {Where's the Math in Computer Games?}, url = {http://www.terc.edu/handsonIssues/f98/Murray.html}, volume = 21, year = 1998 }