‘Play to Reveal Potential’: Enhancing Students’ Learning Motivation in Math and Problem-solving Ability through Math Games in and beyond the Classroom

Overview

The content of this open lesson includes: incorporating STEAM elements into traditional classroom activities (enquiry through minds and hands, embedding scientific principles like optics, extending into technological topics like programming) by applying rules established through math board games into different topics; organising synchronous online and offline activities across forms with different enquiry focuses to nurture students’ personal skills and ability; using math games to plan activities meeting different curriculum objectives, and exploring the possibilities of utilizing board games to facilitate math learning, as well as how well students can be benefited from games learning. This school attempts to use different game items in teaching different topics across junior forms, especially in classrooms where differentiated instruction is needed. It is hoped that this can encourage self - directed learning beyond the classroom and students can acquire problem-solving ability like surveying and graphics in their everyday school life.　

The content of the game includes the implementation and mapping of blended learning activities. This school introduces and connects curriculum topics with interesting mathematics board games, allowing students with different learning abilities to enhance their interest, motivations and self-confidence in mathematics in a non-threatening environment. Through board games, this school wishes that all students can benefit from thinking technique and personal skills, such as strategies usage, spatial awareness, creativity or even subject knowledge in order to take care of student learning diversity. In addition, through topic-related activities, a mathematics learning community can be established for students to encourage a culture of collaboration and problem-solving, rather than focusing on individual learning.　

Participants of this open lesson will understand:
1. how to design pedagogical content to cater learning diversities
2. how to create communities of math learning