Applying Gamification to a Mobile Application to Motivate Children to Learn Math

Applying Gamification to a Mobile Application to Motivate Children to Learn Math

Applying Gamification to a Mobile Application to Motivate Children to Learn Math

By Emma Johansson

Abstract

“Understanding math is an important part of school, yet it is a common source of anxiety as many childrenfind the subject difficult to grasp. One approach to encourage children to learn math is to implementgame elements (gamification) in technology-enhanced learning (TEL) systems. However, designersmust consider what motivates children to use such systems to better encourage them to learn. Therefore,the aim of this paper was to investigate how gamification can be implemented in the design of a mobileTELapplication, in this case the Albert application, to motivate children to learn math. This wasresearched by designing a concept focusing on avatars for Albert and letting users between the ages of10 and 12 evaluate it. The design process followed the Double Diamond model, and the game elementswere designed according to three core drives from the Octalysis framework. The results showed thatchildren who like math are more likely to become motivated by the presented gamification concept thanthe children who have a more negative attitude towards math. As a conclusion, one can motivate childrento learn math using a TEL platform by including avatarism as a form of gamification.”

Reference

Johansson, E. (2021). Applying gamification to a mobile application to motivate children to learn math. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1592507&dswid=3164

Keyword

Technology-enhanced learning, education, gamification, mobile applications, mathematics, case study, conceptual design, research