Math Becomes Exciting
One of the hardest subjects to get students excited about and engaged in, is mathematics. Nothing says fun like theorems, algorithms, combinatorics and formulas, right? Well now, thanks to some brilliant minds at Perach, there is an interactive exhibit called “Who’s Afraid of Math” that turns math into an entertaining and fully interactive experience which even the biggest math antagonist can enjoy.
Interactivity Engagement Theory
The most prominent engagement theory used in this exhibit is interactivity, as the entire display consists of 15 interactive exhibits, each dedicated to integrating mathematics into everyday life (Figovsky, 2020). When we talk about interactivity as a learner engagement strategy, or as a tool to promote motivational reinforcement, it is considered to be “an inherent quality of the medium and learning environment, with an underlying assumption that the interactive characteristics of communication with other learners or content objects is beneficial to the learning process (Sims, 2003, p. 87). During interactivity, learners are directly engaged as an individual, however most interactive environments and online training programs promote the use of networked technology and utilize peer community or group projects to facilitate learning even further. The “Who’s Afraid of Math” exhibit incorporates this aspect as well since you can do free or guided tours individually or in groups (Figovsky, 2020). Practice with teamwork is often a side effect of interactive engagement. With this exhibit, it could create a competitive environment in which learners hope to manipulate the exhibits faster or with more precision than their peers.
Interactivity of Game Play
Another evident method utilized in this exhibit is the use of game play to create excitement in order to engage learners. With game play, learners begin to engage in problem-based learning but in a very fun and interesting way. This exhibit makes use of some ordinary activities, such as opening a combination lock, to create games where learners can attempt to go through the motions behind larger mathematical concepts (Figovsky, 2020). Making math exciting and demonstrating its practical use in everyday living also reinforces a learner’s motivations and opens the pathways necessary for moving those concepts from bland equations on paper, into life-size and realistic manifestations. Game play is, by default, student-centric and it appeals to a learner’s ego and to their curiosity. In order for game play to work as a learning tool however, the student must reach a state of “play” and not just be playing a game (Reiser & Dempsey, 2018). This exhibit forces a state of “play” by introducing stations that require critical thinking instead of arbitrary hand-eye coordination games that can be played passively.
Interactivity to Provide Instant Feedback
Whenever a learner is engaged in any sort of learning process, it is necessary for them to be able to mark progress. One of the most logical ways to note or identify skill acquisition or subject understanding is through the providing of feedback. Feedback in learning is often a two-way street that requires the learner to provide feedback as well as receive it. Interactivity that requires student responses in order to progress further, as demonstrated in some of the game-play stations at the “Who’s Afraid of Math” exhibit, can aid in developing cognitive understanding of the materials that are being presented. When users are involved in this sort of interactivity it may “benefit user cognition through contingent message flows, which forces one to process the information received previously in order to provide his/her feedback in return” (“Involvement without Learning”, 2018, p. 16). It is important to ensure that the type of interactivity taking place during a learning exercise is focused on the subject material and not on learning how to play the game. If you are not careful, the source interactivity may use up too much of the learner’s cognitive bandwidths and will actually inhibit learning because of the cognitive overload. The brilliant designs at this exhibit, however, make use of already acquired and in most cases, mastered skills the learner has already developed in order to bring the mathematical concepts to life (Figovsky, 2020).
Conclusion
While interactivity can take many forms, it is abundantly evident that it is crucial for learning development. With this case study of the “Who’s Afraid of Math” exhibit, we can clearly see many ways that the creators have integrated interactivity for the promotion of learning. The scenarios and displays seem alluring and exciting even though they are dealing with subject matter that most would consider to be boring or in some cases, frightening. I think this exhibit is a beacon of hope that through modern technology and further research of learner engagement theories, we will be able to move into a world where all people will be capable of learning any subject and the future instructional designers will be the pioneers who make that possible.
References
Figovsky, Roy. [Roy Figovsky / Design]. (2020, March 3). Who's Afraid of Math? - Interactive Mathematics Exhibition [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJhiolf-ThE
Involvement without Learning: A Meta-Analysis on the Cognitive Effects of Interactivity. (2018). Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, 1–31. http://search.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edo&AN=135747551&site=eds-live.
Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2018). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology. New York, NY: Pearson.
Sims, R. (2003). Promises of Interactivity: Aligning Learner Perceptions and Expectations With Strategies for Flexible and Online Learning. Distance Education, 24(1), 87-103. https://doi-org.oclc.fullsail.edu/10.1080/01587910303050
Creativity
With Who’s Afraid of Math, Figovsky takes a subject that is consistently a struggle for learners. Often students give up when frustrated with mathematic material but creating an interactivity that promotes motivation in students yields high results. Similarly, the case study regarding the high yield results in dramatic learning improving speech skills is another unconventional avenue that engages the learner in a highly engaging activity (Bsharat & Behak, 2021). By creating instruction that correlates with student interests and that are applicable to their daily lives, there is an improvement in engagement as well as retention of knowledge. When students have the opportunity to be creative while thinking outside the box in the learning process, they are using multiple parts…
Who’s Afraid of Math? is an interactive mathematics exhibition that applies abstract mathematics concepts to concrete experiences. It is made up of fifteen interactive apparatus covering topics including combinations, permutations, proportions, graph theory, symmetry, and encryption.
Physical Interactivity
In all of the exhibits, learners must manipulate apparatus with their bodies. Because “the mind is integrated into the body’s sensorimotor systems” (Macedonia, 2019), physically interacting with the exhibits enhances the learner’s connection to the material. As Hebb (1949) explained how neuropsychological theory connects to behavior, when we act, the neurons and brain areas used for that behavior wire together to create a neural network that connect concrete experiences with cognitive processes. Experiments with vocabulary show that reading action words like kick…
Learners interact with instructional content
With 15 interactive exhibits to choose from, the learner’s curiosity is immediately engaged. The learner is encouraged to play with the concepts that are far beyond their comprehension in a traditional classroom setting. Math concepts that are difficult to understand for most students. Each exhibit provides instant feedback which helps facilitate the learners engagement and promotes engagement until the concept is understood. While the learner is engaged with each exhibit and with instant feedback being provided, this enhance learner’s persistence.
Make decisions on the learning activities being presented
Each exhibit was designed with playing around to be the sole purpose of interaction. By simply placing the learner in the environment to practice the math concepts…
Believe in success
The museum exhibit that is proposed in this blog post provides participants with an opportunity to discover mathematical concepts in a way that doesn’t really provide an option for failure. The activities in the exhibits are designed with the objective of exploration, so participants’ learning outcomes will vary depending on their level of engagement, previous knowledge, curiosity, etc. Because people will have control of their level of participation, they will be motivated by their perceived opportunity for success. Evidence has been showing us for many years that play, like the open exploration inherent in these museum exhibits, is an excellent mode for learning. Good and Ottley (2019) demonstrated this in their study of early learners and math.…
“Quick question! How do you feel about math? Do you love it, like it, or hate it?” This is the question that I’ve used to begin all of my classes each school year since 2013. Although the years have changed, the results have not. One student likes math and the rest hate it (even the year I taught one honors class). Hopefully, this year will be different! None the less, the reasons are always the same: 1) I am not good at math, 2) my parents are not good at math, and 3) I will never use this.
Better Integration of Affect and Emotion
Interactivity is one of the engagement theories that was used in the exhibition. There are 15…