Prodigy Math

ProdigyGame is a learning platform which is designed to facilitate both Math and English Curriculum. As relevant to Ontario teachers, it is good to note that Prodigy directly supports the Grade 1-8 Ontario Math Curriculum, and grade 1-6 Common Core State Standards for English. On this page, we will focus specifically on ProdigyMath, as it is the more mature product.

As seen in the video above (ProdigyGame, 2023), students create a "wizard" on Prodigy whereby they explore an imaginative world filled with fantastical creatures, to be fought, tamed, and played with. In order to perform activities in ProdigyMath, such as casting a spell during a fight with a creature, students are required to answer math questions with the help of digital manipulatives.

On initial account creation, students complete a diagnostic test with respect to the curriculum expectations a teacher would set their class to learn. The results of this test and all other assessments are collected into reports, accessible for both teachers and caregivers. Next activities for the students are automatically personalized by the platform, based on the determined students' strengths and weaknesses, with intervention from the teacher being available as necessary.

Implementation in the Classroom:

The company behind ProdigyMath, Prodigy Education, has a YouTube channel filled with videos directed towards teachers and caregivers. These videos provide support on how to use ProdigyMath to facilitate your curriculum. 

Some exciting videos include "Get started with Prodigy Math in 20 minutes" and "Advanced training for Prodigy Math in 20 minutes".

Another good playlist is the "How To" Series for Teachers. A number of the videos in this series focus on how to access summative reports showing student progress, but the latter half of the playlist focuses on how to specify types of assessment for the students.

The MathProdigy platform does not provide much in the way of instruction, but instead contains a vast array of methods for students to practice their math understandings. In this way, MathProdigy should be implemented only after an instructional period led by the teacher has been provided to students.

If enjoyed by enough of the class, MathProdigy could also be used as an incentive for good behaviours. We could give students the opportunity to "play" on MathProdigy longer if they demonstrate specific behaviors we want them to display, such as learning to cooperate with one's assigned tables mates, rather than situating yourself with one's friends where one might be less conducive to learning.

How the Tool Enhances Student Learning:

Oskin and Chen (2019)  report that Prodigy Math is in fact effective at improving student math achievement. How it does this, is not covered in their research. Through existing research, however, there are some theories which can be applied to Prodigy Math to explain its effectiveness.

Prodigy Math addresses the issue of giving students personalized learning experiences while being able to share those experiences with other students. This is done through the separate facilitation of work and reward. While each student may recieve different level of math assignments, the students will still have the shared experience of playing within the same virtual world and interacting with the same creatures. This can better foster student relationships within the classroom. This feeling of togetherness can be further encouraged if the teacher implements the "Class Challenge" feature within ProgidyMath, whereby the students attempt to reach goals as a collective, rather than individually.

As per the work by Wentzal et. al. (2018), a meta-analytic study, friendships will result in academic benefits when they are characterized by positive affect and prosocial interactions. These includes situations with mutual-goal focused discussions, perspective taking, and healthy conflict resolutions. The theory is that students who feel safe amongst each other will show more willingness to have creative thought, and will be more open and sensitive to others thoughts or emotions.

Prodgy Math also gamifies the learning experience in effective ways. As per the video "Jim Gee Principles of Gaming" (2013), there are 13 princples of learning and gaming, which can be categorized into supporting Empowered Learners, Problem-Based Learning, and Deep Understanding. Math Prodigy supports many of the the 13 principles which make compose these categories. 

For example, Math Prodigy empowers students by allowing all of:

• Agency (students get to choose which areas of the game-world to explore)

• Customization (students get to create their characters)

• Identity (there is a storyline/reasoning to the game)

• Manipulation (students have an effect on the world through their actions).

Math prodigy also implement problem-based learning by using the elements of

• Pleasantly Frustrating (Work is difficult, but rewarding through various extrinsic rewards [potions and pets, etc.])

• Cycle of Expertise (Many challenges for students to try)

• Information (Feedback on student work is immediate)

• Sandboxes (It is a safe space for students to play with friends and)

Lastly, Math prodigy implements deep learning by:

• System Thinking (Combat system is multifaceted with spells and damage type "weaknesses/resistances")

• Situated Meaning (Math is supported by visual representations, e.g. the digital manipulatives, and the HP bars of characters)

References

Oskin, S., Chen, J. (2019). Efficacy analysis retrospective QED using CAASPP data with updated ELSi records. 

https://marketing.prodigygame.com/California+Efficacy+Report+-+Updated.pdf

Chris Thorn. (2013). Jim gee principles of daming. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aQAgAjTozk

Mitchell, R., Schuster, L., & Jin, H. S. (2020). Gamification and the impact of extrinsic motivation on needs satisfaction: Making work fun? Journal of Business 

Research, 106, 323–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.022

Prodigy Education. (2023a). Prodigy teachers | how-tos. [Video]. Youtube. 

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxQuqc7RnWLT6TPyuZPha1mkhQQvKhH58&feature=shared

Prodigy Education. (2023b). Advanced training for prodigy math in 20 minutes!. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OJfLj_W2FM

Prodigy Education. (2023c). Get started with prodigy math in 20 minutes!. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrRdJ0E22aY

ProdigyGame. (2023). Teachers. https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/teachers/

Wentzel, K. R., Jablansky, S., & Scalise, N. R. (2018). Do friendships afford academic benefits? A meta-analytic study. Educational Psychology Review, 30(4), 

1241–1267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-018-9447-5