Mathematics Education for a New Era: Video Games as a Medium for Learning

Stanford mathematician and NPR Math Guy Keith Devlin explains why, fun aside, video games are the ideal medium to teach middle-school math. Devlin spent five years as the lead mathematical advisor on a project to develop an MMO game that would teach mathematics to children aged 9 to 12 and be sufficiently compelling that they would actually want to play it. He worked with some very distinguished mathematics educators and videogame designers, and during that time the team learned how to design videogames that do more than try to entice children to practice their basic math skills. Aimed primarily at teachers and education researchers, and game developers who want to produce videogames for mathematics education, Mathematics Education and Video Games describes exactly what is involved in designing and producing successful math educational videogames that foster the innovative mathematical thinking skills necessary for success in a global economy.