PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2018
San Diego, California
Exploring the Efficacy of a Game-Based Learning Application in Undergraduate Mathematics: Functions of the Machine
Page: 1719
Covariational reasoning is at the heart of many pre-calculus concepts and is vital for calculus readiness (Cottrill et al., 1996; cited in Carlson, Jacobs, Coe, Larsen & Hsu, 2002). To explore the efficacy of a game-based learning application to facilitate conceptual understanding of function concepts through covariational reasoning, the University of Oklahoma’s Virtual Learning Experience Team developed a digital game titled “Functions of the Machine”. In the game, the student plays the role of a scientist tasked with making a complex machine run. The student explores, tests and fixes the machine’s moving parts that consist of gears, fluid tanks, and conveyor belt contraptions. Through a series of interactive scaffolded problems, students transition from proportional reasoning to complex covariational reasoning simulations.