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Identifier

000441928

Title

Δημιουργία περιβαλλόντων μάθησης με την αξιοποίηση εργαλείων της τεχνολογίας Web 2.0 : ανάπτυξη ψηφιακής εκδοχής του παιχνιδιού ΝΙΜ και αξιοποίησή της για την καλλιέργεια της μαθηματικής σκέψης των μαθητών

Alternative Title

Creating learning environments using Web 2.0 tools : the desing of a digital version of game NIM and its didactic application in a primary school setting for the development of mathematical thinking

Author

Νικολιδάκης, Βαγγέλης

Thesis advisor

Παπαβασιλείου Ευάγγελος

Reviewer

Κούρκουλος Μιχάλης
Αναστασιάδης Παναγιώτης
Ζαράνης Νικόλαος
Λεμονίδης Χαράλαμπος
Σταύρου Δημήτρης
Τζανάκης Κωνσταντίνος

Abstract

The existence of a plethora of user-friendly multimedia authoring tools and programming languages makes it possible to individuals with no specialized knowledge to design simple multimedia applications. The author of this dissertation, taking advantage of this convenience, designed a digital version of the renowned game NIM throught the use of java programming language. Afterwards, questioning emerged about the possibility of making productive use of this application in mathematics instruction and especially in enhancing pupils’ mathematical thinking and problem solving skills. A didactic scenario was developed which emphasized the generation of opportunities for pupils’ to get involved in discussions. These discussions where structured around NIM, with strategically interesting instances of pupils’ past games being considered. The aforementioned didactic scenario was implemented on a 5th grade primary school class. The scope of the dissertation is the in-depth study of this case by providing a detailed description of pupils’ participation in the proposed dialogical activities. The research focuses on presenting some evidence on how the didactic intervention facilitated pupils’ mathematical thinking and problem-solving abilities and examines the intervention’s efficiency in providing opportunities for argumentation to occur during the discussions. Case study was the selected methodology. To achieve the aforementioned purpose of providing a thick description of pupils’ activity, a broad range of data collection methods was employed. Quantitative data were obtained through the following sources: test assessing problem solving ability, test assessing ability in NIM game, questionnaires, sociometric tests. Interviews, transcripts of whole-class discussions and chat sessions, think-aloud protocol, played NIM games and observation consisted the qualitative data sources utilized in this research. The results confirmed the beneficial effect of the proposed didactic intervention. The analysis of the data indicated that the participating pupils improved their ability in playing NIM and also their general problem-solving abilities. A correlation was found among these abilities and the following factors: teachers’ estimation of pupils’ problem-solving abilities and pupils’ prior experience with strategy games and riddles. Furthermore, an improvement of pupils’ ways of participating in discussions was noticed, with pupils gradually adopting social and sociomathematical norms that are considered to be prerequisites for the development of productive mathematical discussions. Finally, through the utilization of Toulmin’s argument scheme, there were found some instances of argumentative talk in pupils’ utterances, where certain argumentative schemes were applied.

Language

Greek

Subject

Argumentation

Game-based learning

NIM game

Reasoning

Επιχειρηματολογία

Μάθηση βασισμένη στο ψηφιακό παιχνίδι

Μαθηματικοί συλλογισμοί

Παιχνίδι ΝΙΜ

Issue date