Gamifying Mathematics for Primary Students in Rural Sri Lanka

Tablet computers can be an effective tool to improve education. While there is an abundance of studies showcasing the use of tablets for education in the developed countries, such a use of tablets is under-studied in the developing countries. In this paper we present the findings of a study done in rural Sri Lanka, which aimed at developing a grounded understanding on how students and teachers use gamified mobile applications to learn mathematics in the classroom environment. We carried out an ethnographic study over two weeks with grade three (8 year old) students in two different schools. Our preliminary results show that there is a positive impact on students' as well as teachers' motivations and the students approach towards learning changed in to a student centric one. We have identified design issues in our gamified mobile application and aspects of designing interactions for teaching and learning in a technologically-enhanced environment in a rural setting.