Embedded Files
The Special Educator's Guide
to Teaching Algebra 1
through Games & Play
Mission of the project
Mission of the project
The purpose of this synthesis project is to provide a supplemental resource to Special Education Teachers in order to support students with learning disabilities to improve their understanding of Algebra 1 content that incorporates learning and play.
With the aim to improve special education students’ comprehension of fundamental algebraic concepts, this website was developed to include strategies to incorporate game elements within lessons and activities, as well as engaging lesson plans using John Dewey’s learn-through-occupation model and Johan Huizinga’s magic circle theory.
Students Struggle to Learn Math
Students Struggle to Learn Math
The way in which students with disabilities first learn how to count, calculate, and problem solve is pertinent in their relationship and perspective of mathematics; a repetition of failures can cause frustration and lead to a loss of interest.
Negative experiences within mathematics teaching can not only lead to a negative view of the subject matter but also increase anxiety, specifically “math anxiety”, which is characterized as having a “collection of negative feelings associated with activities involving manipulating numbers and calculations. Holding a negative view towards mathematics can increase the likelihood of students with disabilities losing their motivation to complete math-related assignments and can lead to a loss in academic achievement gains.
The inflexibility of traditional teaching methods and reluctance to incorporate modern approaches to learning can decrease interest amongst students with disabilities as it does not highlight creativity or student autonomy. This is especially important for students who have been diagnosed with a disability, including but not limited to those who struggle with information processing, sustaining focus and concentration, and logical reasoning. Students who exhibit academic difficulties, described as having consistent failing grades, often do not benefit from standard teaching practices and are generally subjected to varying degrees of accommodations or modification within their daily class activities through special education or intervention-based services.
A Modern Solution
A Modern Solution
When creating a curriculum that incorporates games & play AND follows the Algebra Common Core Standards, there are three things to consider:
Improving Teaching Methods During Instruction
Improving Teaching Methods During Instruction
Increasing Engagement Amongst Students
Increasing Engagement Amongst Students
Introducing a new Learning Environment
Introducing a new Learning Environment
Special education math teachers, particularly those that have spent many years utilizing traditional teaching methods, should consider researching newer forms of teaching and incorporating interactive and gamified activities within their curriculum to support neurodivergent learners like those with a specific learning disability (SLD) or ADD/ADHD. For example, virtual manipulatives that visually present the process of combining and finding unknown variables in an Algebra 1 class can support students with processing issues in understanding fundamental processes and patterns of problem solving.
The goal of this project is to incorporate gamified learning elements, as well as interactive properties and characteristics, within a mathematical-based curriculum in order to have a positive impact on engagement and achievement levels for students with disabilities.
When paired with practices, such as explicit instruction and scaffolding, incorporating interactive technology within a mathematics curriculum is especially pertinent when considering learners diagnosed with a disability and/or who struggle academically due to lack of concentration and attention.
"The effectiveness of video games in education, with several studies indicating that educational video games provide various benefits to learning, such as engagement and enjoyment, attracting the attention of students, and increasing their motivation [has] a positive impact on student performance, on attitudes towards learning, and on self-conception when compared to traditional learning” (Baig, et al; 2020)
The Gamification of Academic Curriculum
With the methods focusing on utilizing various forms of interactivity, it will be useful in assisting teachers in gamifying their curriculum and supporting them in recognizing how game elements, such as cooperation, competition, rewards and leveling up, can be transferred and translated into the classroom.
Algebra 1 Specialized Curriculum
Theoretical Foundations of Gamification
Theoretical Foundations of Gamification
Teaching strategies, activities, and lesson plans were then developed to incorporate these game elements based on John Dewey’s learn-through-occupation model, Johan Huizinga’s magic circle theory, and the CCSS.
This website was developed utilizing comprehensive computer searchers of education-based databases like Academic Search Complete, Education Full Text, Education Source, ERIC, and Google Scholar. The literature search terms used from this project were:
ADHD, algebra 1, algebra 1 standards, education, educational video games, edutainment, game learning, games, gamification, interactive learning, learning methods, mathematics, simulations, special education, specific learning disability, student achievement, student engagement, student learning, technology, and video games.
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