Exploring Touch and Communicative Gestures' Role in Mathematical Thinking

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Video Games, Participatory Design, and Communication

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates how students playing the video game DragonBox 12+ use gesture to both play and communicate. In particular, players used touch gestures individually during gameplay, and then used communicative mathematical gestures as a group seeking to bridge from the game to the formal mathematical content. Both touch and communicative gestures influenced their performance on formal mathematical test items. We concluded that using touch and communicative mathematical gestures while playing and discussing DragonBox 12+ affected students’ mathematical learning and transfer.

Authors

• Nihal Katirci, University of Maryland - College Park

• Ekta Shokeen, University of Maryland

• Caroline "Caro" Cassie-Marie Williams-Pierce, University of Maryland, College Park