November 13, 2012 Leave a Comment

Level Up: Video Games for Learning Algebra

Last week I gave a presentation at AMATYC about video games for learning algebra. As usual, Mat Moore did a fantastic illustration for the prezi.

It was staged in five levels:

  • Level 1: Why use games?
  • Level 2: What is a game? (manipulatives, puzzles, and games)
  • Level 3: Become a Math Game Critic
  • Level 4: Play GOOD Games
  • Level 5: Good Algebra Video Games?

You can click through the Prezi below.

Level Up! Video Games for Learning Algebra on Prezi

 

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Filed Under: Algebra, Lame Games, Math Video Games, Play and Learn, Prealgebra
November 12, 2012 3 Comments

Coming out of the Closet: I’m a Game Designer!

I don’t even really know how to begin here. For the last three years I’ve been working on a secret little project that I wasn’t allowed to talk about in public (NDA). I’ve been designing digital games for learning algebra in my (ha ha) free time. The last couple months have been an absolutely insane flurry of activity as we approached the launch date and as a result, I haven’t posted much. Finally I can tell you that I’m no longer a wannabe game designer. I’ve designed four game apps that are now out in the iPad App store! I’m out of the closet and able to talk about it!

There are three years of stories to tell here about the development process, but I’m still recovering from launch week. So if you’re dying to see, here are the apps:

  • Algeboats Lite is a taste of our resource management game for learning how to evaluate expressions. [Note: Full version is not yet available.]
  • Algeburst: Topics in Algebra is a classic match-3 game for simplifying expressions, solving simple equations and inequalities, and using exponent rules.
  • Algeburst: Topics in Arithmetic is a classic match-3 game for pre-algebra arithmetic, including signed numbers, fractions, decimals, and order of operations.
  • Algeburst Lite will give you 12 free levels to try out the game (6 levels of arithmetic, 6 levels of algebra).

To see videos and screenshots from the games, please head on over to the Facebook pages: Algeburst or Algeboats and give us a LIKE!

 

 

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Filed Under: Algebra, Good Learning Games, Math Video Games, Play and Learn, Prealgebra
March 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

Copyright Math

This is a short TED Talk by Rob Reid (The $8 billion iPad) that tries to infuse a little “reasonability test” into our blind belief in the numbers provided by those with self-interest … in this case, the music/entertainment industry.

 

There are several examples that you could turn into signed number addition or subtraction problems.  In my favorite example (about 2:57 in the video), Reid uses what he calls “Copyright Math” to “prove” that by their own calculations, the job losses in the movie industry that came with the Internet must have resulted in a negative number of people employed.

Here’s the word problem I’d write:

In 1998, prior to the rapid adoption of the Internet, the U.S. Motion Picture and Video Industry employed 270,000 people (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).  Today, the movie industry claims that 373,000 jobs have been lost due to the Internet.

[Prealgebra] There are many ways to interpret this claim.  If all these jobs were all lost in 1999, how many people would have been left in the motion picture industry in 1999?  If the 373,000 jobs were spread out over the last 14 years, then on average, how many jobs were lost each year? Using this new “annual job-loss” figure and no industry growth, how many jobs would have been left in 1999? Can you think of other ways the quoted figures could be interpreted?  Use the Internet to see if you can find out how many people are employed in the motion picture industry today.  [Prealgebra]

[Intermediate Algebra] If the job market for the motion picture and video industry grew by 2% every year (without the Internet “loss” figures), how many people would be employed in 2012 in the combined movie/music industries?  How many jobs would have been created between 1998 and 2012 at the 2% growth rate?  If the job market grew by 5% every year (without the Internet “loss” figures), how many people would be employed in 2012 in the combined movie/music industries?  How many jobs would be created between 1998 and 2012 at the 5% growth rate?

 

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Filed Under: Algebra, Mathematics Tagged:
February 13, 2012 Leave a Comment

Scale of the Universe

One of my former students (who is still a Twitter user) pointed me to this fantastic animation of powers of 10 meters, called “Scale of the Universe 2.”  I think you’ll appreciate the design and relevance of the objects the authors, Cary and Michael Huang, use to help the user to understand the relevance of scale.  Just like Powers of 10, you can zoom from the smallest part of a cell to the edges of the universe.

 

 

The authors have a collection of science- and math-oriented animations at HTwins.net that might be worth checking out too.  They also have a clever little game called Get to the Top (with 82 variations).

P.S. If you’ve never seen the 1977 film, Powers of 10, it was a really incredible movie for its time and you can see it on YouTube.  Another animated version of this film can be found at the Powersof10 website.

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Filed Under: Algebra, Mathematics Tagged:
November 14, 2011 Leave a Comment

Collection of Math Games

To view the collections of Math Games, hover over the Games Menu, and go to one of the dropdown categories.

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Algebra, Calculus, Games for Math, Math for Elem Teachers, Math Video Games, Nondigital Math Games, Play and Learn, Precalculus
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