The traditional method for learning the multiplication tables is a repetitive and boring task. Teachers try to find new methods to motivate children in this tedious duty, and one of the lines to consider is to integrate en- tertainment into educational processes. This work presents a new multimedia interaction approach in order to allow children to practice these math opera- tions and have fun. The learning process has been gamified by means of two mini-games designed for mobile platforms, based on meromictic or repetitive learning. The genre of these mini-games have been selected according to chil- dren preferences: one turn-based fighting and other throwing-objects game. A series of proposed multiplications have to be solved during the play to per- form the player actions. Moreover, in order to support learning engagement, both have been visualized through Augmented Reality, combining real and virtual reality. This paper discusses the good results of mixing entertainment with some learning tasks, due to the engagement of the children to the mobile based games. A pilot study has been performed in order to evaluate the learn- ing effectiveness and usability of the proposal. Results support that playing the video games makes this tedious multiplication practice more enjoyable and attractive for children so they improve their math skills.
Keywords: Augmented reality; Education; Engagement; Serious games.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021.