Learning Based on Board Game to Inspire Mathematical Thinking

Math learning is, together with reading and writing, one of the fundamental learnings of elementary education, given the instrumental nature of these subjects. However, it has been identified the difficulty that students have when they need to solve addition and subtraction math problems with numbers of up to three digits, which is why it is necessary to find new ways to teach students to reason. This article proposes the design of a board game to strengthen logical reasoning. The methodology used in the research began with a diagnosis of 37 fourth grade students from a private school in Ecuador through a pre-test, later an interaction with the board game and finally a post-test. Two math teachers and two designers participated in the board game design. The information obtained from the experts helped with the design of the game, the data collected from teachers made it easier to identify the main problems that students present in terms of understanding mathematical problems. The design of the game was based on the narrative of superheroes such as: Spidermas, Superesta, Dividivertido, Centella, Sumager, among others, as well as in the most representative places at the Downtown of Quito. The game is designed for three or four students; the game’s mechanics consist in that the participants must solve math problems proposed in the board and if they can solve them properly, they advance in the game. Among the main results and conclusions of this research is that the students feel motivated to learn using the game; in addition, collaborative work is evidenced, and soft skills are enhanced such as teamwork, problem solving, analytical thinking and autonomy. For future work, the board game can be used in other topics where students face difficulties, such as: fractions, multiplication and division.