September 25, 2016: FAMTE Pre-Conference
Serious Games as Tools for Students' Engagement in Developmental Mathematics Distance Learning Courses
Location
Capitol Ballroom
Start
9-25-2016 11:55 AM
End
9-25-2016 12:15 PM
Abstract
Students’ performance in mathematics at all levels of education have been declining for the past few decades. The problem of students’ low performance in mathematics is even greater in developmental courses where the success rates remain well below 50%. Technology has been the primary method used by mathematics educators to foster student engagement in mathematics. Many textbooks come with courseware such as MyMathLab (MML), Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), or other similar educational software intended to increase students’ engagement with the course content. Some studies suggest that educational software increase students’ performance in mathematics; while others revealed that the difference in performance between students who use educational software and those who do not are statistically insignificant. This paper describes an intervention program that uses the ARCS model to develop a serious game intended to increase students’ motivation and engagement in a developmental mathematics course at the university level.
Format
Concurrent Session
Institutional level targeted
Other
Target Level (additional info)
All levels of education
Presenter(s) Biography
Mario Toussaint received his bachelor’s in computer science and master’s degree in mathematics teaching (MST) from Florida Atlantic University. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Curriculum Culture and Educational Inquiry (CCEI) department and a Graduate Research Assistant in the eLearning department at Florida Atlantic University. He is also serving as an adjunct professor of mathematics at both Broward College and Miami Dade College teaching developmental and college level undergraduate mathematics courses for over twelve years. His research interests include Academic Service Learning and using technology to improve students’ performance, especially in mathematics.
Serious Games as Tools for Students' Engagement in Developmental Mathematics Distance Learning Courses
Capitol Ballroom
Students’ performance in mathematics at all levels of education have been declining for the past few decades. The problem of students’ low performance in mathematics is even greater in developmental courses where the success rates remain well below 50%. Technology has been the primary method used by mathematics educators to foster student engagement in mathematics. Many textbooks come with courseware such as MyMathLab (MML), Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), or other similar educational software intended to increase students’ engagement with the course content. Some studies suggest that educational software increase students’ performance in mathematics; while others revealed that the difference in performance between students who use educational software and those who do not are statistically insignificant. This paper describes an intervention program that uses the ARCS model to develop a serious game intended to increase students’ motivation and engagement in a developmental mathematics course at the university level.