Video games in the teaching of geometry

 Hello creative bloggers! I know that you really love playing videogames...so I'm going to show you how geometry is also present in them and how is it possible to to teach and learn geometry through them.

According to Prensky (2001), students of this generation are referred to as ‘digital natives’, that is, generations who have grown up surrounded by technology. This is why ICT tools are essential to consider in the classroom as just another teaching resource. However, using them correctly is crucial for them to be truly beneficial, as we must ensure that pupils use ICT actively and cease to be merely passive consumers of the content they find online. Given the anxiety that mathematics often causes in pupils, introducing this subject through technology can motivate children and change their perspective on maths. Furthermore, using video games in the classroom helps to reduce the fear of making mistakes and encourages pupils to try again whenever they fail (Janeiro-Torres, 2016).

A clear example of a resource that could be used in the classroom is Scratch, an online programming language that can be used to create interactive stories, games and animations. This software could be used when teaching geometry. Geometry is directly related to the creation of video games, as one must take into account how movements vary depending on directions, reference systems, angles and coordinates. By teaching pupils to design a very basic video game, we are allowing them to explore the space in which their characters will move, as well as the directions, orientations and trajectories. 

According to Sanchéz et al. (2012), video games integrate elements of geometry, spatiality and aesthetic harmony at their core. Through programming work, various resources—such as graphics, maps, text and sound—are combined to optimise interaction with the player. Due to this complexity, they are categorised as a hyper-language capable of mobilising ideas and facilitating the understanding of abstract concepts, such as geometric loci, through interactivity. 

In conclusion, using video games in the classroom not only boosts motivation and facilitates meaningful learning of geometry and other mathematical concepts, but also develops computational thinking by requiring students to break down a complex problem (creating a game) into smaller parts (programming a specific movement). 

    Figure 1. 

    Videogames in education.

      Note: Recovered from https://eledelengua.com/ldelengua-110-hablando-de-juegos-en-el-aula-con-oriol-ripoll/

References

Janeiro-Torres, E. (2016). Scratch y videojuegos aplicados a la enseñanza de la geometría (Bachelor's thesis). 

Sánchez, J., Espinoza, M., Carrasco, M., & Garrido, J. (2012). Modelo de videojuegos para mejorar habilidades matemático-geométricas en aprendices ciegos. In Nuevas Ideas en Informática Educativa Memorias del XVII Congreso Internacional de Informática Educativa, TISE. J. Sánchez, Editor, Santiago, Chile (pp. 97-104). 

Prensky, M. (5 de octubre de 2001). Digital Natives, Digital Inmigrants. On the horizont, 9 (5). Recuperado de, https://marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf