GAMIFICATION IN MATH EDUCATION FOR GRADES 5-7

Abstract

The Digital Age has only just begun to change how we play, learn and work. In the 21st century technology knows no bounds smart devices such as tablets and phones are entering our everyday lives and are available at affordable prices, have great functionality and offer superior performance. We live in the Internet of Things era where digitization is the integration of digital technologies into everyday life.During this era of fast paced progression the education system must also adapt, develop and evolve itself in order to facilitate the new technological advancements and with it so must the limits of traditional learning be pushed to new heights. Digitalization is one such tool which will help us to transform the old paper educational system into a digital paperless one.Digital education involves the following main advantages: Online courses: Developed by experts in their fields and providing students with lessons which are accessible in real-time; Online exams: Making the examination process convenient for both teachers and students; Interactive content: Students are granted access to an interactive interface which lets them review multimedia content such as videos, presentation and hyperlinks; Animation: The visualization of content, presents the concept in a simplified way with the help of animation; Communication: Students and Teachers are connected in virtual classroom /chat, blog, platform/ designed to provide immediate feedback.Digital education requires a new classroom model to make learning difficult subject matter more exciting and interactive. “Gamification” in education increases motivation through engagement and offers many possible benefits including the following: students taking ownership over their creations; a more relaxed atmosphere which in turn facilitates a more fun and focused environment; the progress is visible through indicators; students often feel more comfortable in a gaming environment.In the following article we are going to present the integration of the core principles of gaming using different development platforms (Scratch / Game Maker / VBA in PowerPoint) and share the results which we achieved when we used this method to train our students grades 5 through 7 in a "gamified" classroom for the most popular international computer science and mathematics competition BEAVER.