Spil, læring og matematikundervisning – et scenariedidaktisk perspektiv

Dette ph.d.-projekt undersøger, hvordan elevers oplevelser af at deltage i matematikundervisning med spil kan skabe læringsmæssige muligheder og begrænsninger. Data er indsamlet gennem to forskningsprojekter: Sæt skolen i spil og Spilbaseret læring i det 21. århundrede. I denne kontekst bruger jeg pragmatisme og design-based research til at deltage i to interventioner i matematikundervisningen i forskellige 5.-klasser med det analoge spil Hungry Higgs og det digitale spil Minecraft. Projektet anvender scenariedidaktik, John Deweys læringsteoretiske perspektiv og Erving Goffmans spilforståelse til at undersøge, hvordan elever kobler (og ikke kobler) faglige indsigter med deres hverdagserfaringer og oplevelser af at deltage i matematikundervisningen. Projektet konkluderer, at elevers oplevelser som sociale deltagere i matematikundervisning med spil, både kan understøtte og bremse faglige indsigter. Derfor bør fremtidig forskning i spil, læring og matematikundervisning, der sigter mod at forstå læringspotentialer i nyere digitale og analoge spilformater, interessere sig for, hvordan elever oplever at deltage socialt i disse spil.<br/

Enhancing Mathematical Reasoning in Primary School With the Strategic Board Game Othello

This study explores how the board game Othello can enhance primary school students' mathematical reasoning. Mathematical reasoning is increasingly emphasized in international mathematics curricula, yet both teachers and students face challenges in teaching and learning this important skill. Research shows that strategic games, like Othello, can develop thinking abilities related to mathematical reasoning by providing a context for students to engage in reflective thinking, anticipate future moves, and develop reasoning strategies. However, there is a need to understand how teachers can effectively utilize these games in the classroom to foster mathematical reasoning. We address this, through a design-based research approach consisting of a hermeneutic literature study and the development of design principles for a teaching intervention in a fifth-grade classroom. Data from the intervention is collected through participant observations and group interviews. The findings suggest that Othello can serve as a context for students to engage in mathematical reasoning by making and justifying claims and presenting logical arguments. The study proposes three design principles to scaffold mathematical reasoning during Othello gameplay. These principles focus on introducing and reinforcing the use of the "if...then" formulation, promoting exploratory talk, encouraging reflection on strategies, and fostering collaborative reasoning. The results indicate that the design principles positively impacted students' ability to reason mathematically. This paper contributes to the field of mathematics education and game-based learning by providing a practice-oriented perspective on designing mathematical instruction for reasoning using a specific board game in a primary school setting. The findings offer insights into the potential of strategic board games like Othello to enhance students' mathematical reasoning skills. The design principles proposed in this study can guide teachers in developing effective instructional approaches to support students' mathematical reasoning development.This study explores how the board game Othello can enhance primary school students' mathematical reasoning. Mathematical reasoning is increasingly emphasized in international mathematics curricula, yet both teachers and students face challenges in teaching and learning this important skill. Research shows that strategic games, like Othello, can develop thinking abilities related to mathematical reasoning by providing a context for students to engage in reflective thinking, anticipate future moves, and develop reasoning strategies. However, there is a need to understand how teachers can effectively utilize these games in the classroom to foster mathematical reasoning. We address this, through a design-based research approach consisting of a hermeneutic literature study and the development of design principles for a teaching intervention in a fifth-grade classroom. Data from the intervention is collected through participant observations and group interviews. The findings suggest that Othello can serve as a context for students to engage in mathematical reasoning by making and justifying claims and presenting logical arguments. The study proposes three design principles to scaffold mathematical reasoning during Othello gameplay. These principles focus on introducing and reinforcing the use of the "if...then" formulation, promoting exploratory talk, encouraging reflection on strategies, and fostering collaborative reasoning. The results indicate that the design principles positively impacted students' ability to reason mathematically. This paper contributes to the field of mathematics education and game-based learning by providing a practice-oriented perspective on designing mathematical instruction for reasoning using a specific board game in a primary school setting. The findings offer insights into the potential of strategic board games like Othello to enhance students' mathematical reasoning skills. The design principles proposed in this study can guide teachers in developing effective instructional approaches to support students' mathematical reasoning development.</p

Facilitating an Educational Board Game Jam:Analysing Different Game Design Strategies

There is a long tradition of using board games for educational purposes. Moreover, the growth of the game jam events where participants typically gather at physical locations with an aim of creating new games, has expanded over the last decades. This paper is based on an exploratory study, where we wanted to create a game jam for teachers, student teachers, facilitators, and consultants interested in designing and redesigning board games to enhance learning for different target groups. With a point of departure in design thinking, the game jam was framed through three phases: ideation, build a board, and playtesting. The participants were given the challenge of designing a board game incorporating co-op elements such as collaboration, problem-solving in teams, collective efforts towards a mutual enemy, etc. The game jam was held in a university college where the participants had access to a variety of materials such as pens, papers, cardboards, and discarded board games. The empirical data consisted of observations of participants, who were divided into groups of 2-4 persons based on their prior game experiences and game interests. The analysis presents preliminary findings in relation to the participants’ different strategies for developing board games. The empirical data showed how the groups struggled to balance simplicity vs. complexity in their designs in relation to both time frame and target group of their board games. The playtesting session fostered discussions around the essential game mechanics and elements of each board game prototype. Furthermore, the ongoing feedback and playtesting created a joyful and curious bridge between the groups. Based on the analysis, the paper presents a series of design principles aimed at facilitating educational board game jams

Introducing the play activity wheel: Designing social, physical and playful learning activities from digital game universes

This article introduces and describes the play activity wheel, developed bythe authors. It was created through looking back at 19 years of personal experiences of transforming television shows, board games and digital games into pedagogical activities, and has a focus on social, physical and playful learning. The idea of developing computer games, television series and board games into physical activities arose from observing children’s interests in transforming these universes into games and activities. The play activity wheel was developed in various settings with different participants, such as children aged 1–15, students in higher education, educators, researchers and other stakeholders. For the purpose of this study, the play activity wheel wastested as a tool for preservice teachers. A researcher/educator collaborated on designing a process to achieve common learning goals in a playful learning space. In this study, we present the theoretical background for the play activity wheel and demonstrate how it can be used to design playful learning