The act of playing and the logical and mathematical reasoning in digital games: The mathematical experience in the digital games

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to develop a game (Wind Phoenix: Tales of Prometheus), identify and analyze the actions of the players while playing this game and solving puzzles. Facing the immersion and exploration in this universe, we investigated whether and which mathematical experiences emerged from the actions of the player. In the same way of our hypothesis, the game offers to its protagonist opportunities to develop and to produce mathematical knowledge through logical and mathematical reasoning by solving puzzles and exploring spaces. The methodology adopted was the Design Based Research, since it presents an interactive and interventionist approach, which allowed us the consideration of the theories we presented through the production and gameplay of this game. Through the Embodied Cognition, that deals with concepts of the Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and reaches the work of Barsalou et al. [6] and Barsalou [5] Fauconnier and Turner [20], among others, we understand that every action is contextualized and, in our case, it is experienced in a game by the logical and mathematical reasoning. Indeed, during the overcoming of the ‘trial and error’ process, the protagonists of this digital adventure developed processes of problem solving, through the creation of conjectures, data collection, tests and analysis, indicating the production a strategic thinking. We concluded that, assuming a role in the game, the players established an enunciation process of logical problems – puzzles. Therefore, the development of epistemological games in 3D has revealed itself as a possibility for us to start new paradigms in the production of mathematical knowledge upon the logical and mathematical reasoning that surpasses our personal experiences.