Who would have thought that a simple game like Pokémon Go could lead to students actually thinking math can be fun. Where was this when I was at university?
The University of Iowa has found a new way to make math more fun and inclusive thanks to gamification. This isn't the first time a university or school has used games to help students visualize and learn. Just recently, a teacher played Assassin's Creed in class to give students a better understanding of history.
Now, a course instructor at the University of Iowa has found a way to make an entry level math class fun, thanks to the help of Pokémon Go.
Pokemath Is An Actual University Class
Kitrick Fynaardt has created the unique Pokémon Go math class at the University of Iowa, which uses the game to help students with entry level university math. Since Now most of you must be wondering how exactly math is a part of Pokémon Go, which feels more random than anything else, but Fynaardt has found a way to utilize the game to teach mathematical concepts.
Pokémon have an attack stat, a defense stat, they have, hit points, and where those numbers actually come from, the calculation to do that and how much actual work it takes to sort of go find the stats and how they interact, a lot of students don’t even know that, even if they’ve been playing the game for years.
Since the game does have elements of chance, students have to calculate the specific stats and how they come to be. This makes learning interactive and fun, with students applying the knowledge they gain from the class and the game to their everyday life, Fynaardt told KTIV News.
Pokemath is a course at the University of Iowa that combines video games with math. Read more >> https://t.co/3A4iAJfttp pic.twitter.com/bxH0Y4j3Hm
— KTIV News Four (@ktivnews) February 19, 2024
Pokémon Go is also a free to play game that can run on basically any smartphone, which made it the perfect game for students since it's very accessible. It also doesn't require high skilled mechanics, which makes it perfect for a university class environment.
Pokemath is offered in the spring semester at the University of Iowa, but it's already filled with a large waiting list of students hoping to get a chance to take some gen eds in a fun and unique way.