Game based learning as a supplementary approach in teaching mathematics

摘要

Selecting the best available teaching learning approaches is a critical factor that determines the success rate of an educational program. When it comes to a distance learning program that operates in e-Learning mode, the choice of such approaches are limited. This study explores the extent to which students in such a program would like a Game Based Learning (GBL) approach as a supplementary learning approach for learning Mathematics. The Foundation of Information Technology (FIT) program at the University of Colombo - School of Computing (UCSC), Sri Lanka, which is a distance-learning program that operates in e-Learning mode was selected to carry out the investigation. As a part of the research, a few games were designed based on the Mathematics syllabus of the FIT program and developed using Unity5. Feedback from 42 students who played games were collected and analyzed. Based on the results of the analysis the paper discusses the applicability of the GBL approach in the e-Learning environment to teach Mathematics.