‘Playing without Losing Track' — Enhancing Students' Learning Motivation in Mathematics and Problem-solving Ability through Mathematics Games within and beyond the Classroom

Overview

This open lesson includes exploring the possibilities in incorporating STEM elements into traditional classroom activities (enquiry through minds and hands, embedding scientific principles like optics, extending into technological topics like programming). Possible added elements include applying rules established in mathematical board games into different learning activities in Mathematics lessons; organising synchronous online and offline activities across forms with different enquiry focuses; using math games to plan activities meeting different curriculum objectives, and exploring the possibilities of utilising board games to facilitate Mathematics learning. This school attempts to use different game items in teaching different topics across junior forms, especially in classrooms where differentiated instructions are needed. It is hoped that this can encourage learning beyond the classroom and students can acquire problem-solving ability like surveying and graphics in their everyday school life.

This open lesson will cover designing blended learning activities from a face-to-face classroom mode to an online mode to embrace the new challenges and opportunities under the new normal. By mapping math games into different topics, our school will revamp the math curriculum at different forms before the start of the new school year. Each module in the junior forms will be introduced by a game or a fun anecdote in order to arouse the learning motivation of all, and in particular, to meet the learning needs of the more mathematically-motivated ones as a means to cater for learner diversity. Besides, the school aims to establish student communities of math learning via a series of carefully-mapped teaching topics and learning activities to help them solve problems while encouraging them to move away from mere acquisition of knowledge at the individual level. Enquiry through minds and hands, embedding scientific principles like optics, extending into technological topics like programming, and acquire problem-solving ability like surveying and graphics in their everyday school life.