Math Games: An Alternative (Approach) to Teaching Math

Getting students to read, digest and practice material is difficult in any discipline, but even more so for math, since many students have to cope with motivational problems and feelings of inadequacy, often due to prior unsuccesful training and teaching methods. In this paper we look at the opportunities offered by computer graphics, visual programming and game design as an alternative for traditional methods of teaching mathemathics. In particular, games may be deployed both as intruments to drill concepts and skills, but in addition as a way to identify challenges and possible strategies for solving problems in the mathematical domain. Our, perhaps somewhat optimistic, message is that, when coupled to instruction of visual programming, web technology and new media deployment, students gain insight by constructive explorations in a wide variety of mathematical problems. Moreover, by creating their own game worlds, reflection on the structure and complexity of mathematics is encouraged taking each student’s capabilities and limitations into account, thus avoiding the fear of mathematics that haunts so many students.