Gamification and Coding to Engage Primary School Students in Learning Mathematics: A Case Study

Raffaella Folgieri, Maria Elide Vanutelli, Paola De Vecchi Galbiati, Claudio Lucchiari

2019

Abstract

This paper describes a pilot educational project made in a Primary School in Italy (Scuola Primaria Alessandro Manzoni at Mulazzano, Milan) implemented in 2016 and 2017. The project was born from a specific request: the school aimed at improving the results achieved by students aged 7 during the National Tests for Mathematics since they registered performances lower than the National Average. In this context, we supported teachers providing information tools and methods to improve performances. Our aim was to develop new game-oriented approaches to problem-solving, mixing our different experiences and competences (organization design, information technologies, psychology). We provided a broader spectrum of parameters tools and keys to understand how to achieve an inclusive approach personalized on students, involving them and their teachers in the project. This cooperative approach allowed us to collect interesting observations about learning styles, pointing out the negative impact that standardized processes and instruments can have on self-esteem and consequently on the performance of pupils. We argue that addressing pupils in considering mathematics as continuous research and development can increase their performances in National Tests execution. Children free to realize their own experiments and observations dramatically improve their involvement and curiosity about Mathematics.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Folgieri R., Vanutelli M., Galbiati P. and Lucchiari C. (2019). Gamification and Coding to Engage Primary School Students in Learning Mathematics: A Case Study.In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU, ISBN 978-989-758-367-4, pages 506-513. DOI: 10.5220/0007800105060513

in Bibtex Style

@conference{csedu19,
author={Raffaella Folgieri and Maria Vanutelli and Paola Galbiati and Claudio Lucchiari},
title={Gamification and Coding to Engage Primary School Students in Learning Mathematics: A Case Study},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU,},
year={2019},
pages={506-513},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0007800105060513},
isbn={978-989-758-367-4},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU,
TI - Gamification and Coding to Engage Primary School Students in Learning Mathematics: A Case Study
SN - 978-989-758-367-4
AU - Folgieri R.
AU - Vanutelli M.
AU - Galbiati P.
AU - Lucchiari C.
PY - 2019
SP - 506
EP - 513
DO - 10.5220/0007800105060513