Games can help improve matric maths results
SOUTH Africa’s matric maths pass rate declined once again, plunging the field deeper into crisis.
Fixing it requires a holistic approach, including the overhaul of how schools teach the subject.
This is where gamification could make a substantial difference, experts say, now and in the long run.
Making maths more palatable and relevant improves learners’ grades, boosts their study options, and increases their chances of finding meaningful work as young adults.
It has been a problem for years: South Africa’s maths education.
In 2019, six in 10 (63%) of Grade 4 and 8 learners didn’t have the mathematical knowledge and skills they should have at their age.
In the meantime, matric mathematics pass rates have deteriorated for years.
Last year is no exception: According to the Department of Basic Education’s latest national senior certificate examination report, which was published on Monday, only 125.526 of 233.315 candidates (53.8%) who wrote maths last year, passed.
That is down from 54.6% in 2019. The consequences of this are far-reaching, as it feeds into South Africa’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills shortage, which has been amplified in the latest National List of Occupations in High Demand (OIHD).
Presented in November last year, the document features 345 scarce occupations, of which the bulk – from engineers and biotechnologists to architects and investment professionals – requires concrete maths and STEM skills sets.
Experts say the starting point of solving this two-headed crisis is to make STEM subjects such as maths more exciting and desirable, for instance, by tapping into the Fourth Digital Revolution in general and gamification in particular.
“This type of technology uses gaming elements in non-game contexts, in this case, education, to fuel children’s natural drive to compete, perform, learn, and socialise whilst maximising their overall learning performance,” says Philip von Ziegler, global head of English markets at Smartick.
Founded in 2009, the company has produced an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered online maths programme that gives children aged 4 to 13 a means to gain access to a virtual world in exchange for 15-minutes of focused, hardcore maths.
“Your performance during these sessions determines your reward in stars and gems, which you can spend in the virtual world to upgrade your Avatar, your Avatar’s house, buy pets, and acquire new clothes.
“The better you do during your sessions, the more rewards you get, and the more virtual spending power you have. This incentivises kids to do their best,” Von Ziegler says.
He says Smartick’s virtual world is as education-centred as the maths sessions themselves, but in a fun way.
“Besides your Avatar’s house, this world comprises a virtual classroom which we have filled with interactive tutorials learners can use to take on more sessions and deepen their knowledge. The virtual boxing gym enables participants to compete against one another in real-time maths sparring sessions,” he says, noting all questions are tailored to each student’s ability.
The brain game section is Smartick’s most important segment, featuring a wide range of brain games that intend to develop learners’ memory, logic, reasoning, critical thinking, focus, physical flexibility, and health.