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Enhancing Fundamental Math Skills of STEM Students Through Math Games Instruction

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Conference

2024 ASEE PSW Conference

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada

Publication Date

April 18, 2024

Start Date

April 18, 2024

End Date

April 20, 2024

Page Count

5

DOI

10.18260/1-2--46036

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/46036

Download Count

64

Paper Authors

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Monika Neda University of Nevada - Las Vegas

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Monika Neda is a Professor in Department of Mathematical Sciences at University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) and the Associate Dean for Research in College of Sciences at UNLV. Monika received her Ph.D. in mathematics at University of Pittsburgh and her expertise is in computational fluid dynamics with recent years involvement in STEM education. In addition to research, she is involved in several programs helping women and underrepresented students in their journey in STEM disciplines.

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Blanca Rincon

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Daniel Sahl University of Nevada - Las Vegas

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Alok Pandey College of Southern Nevada

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Claudia Mora Bornholdt College of Southern Nevada

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John William Howard College of Southern Nevada

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Rachidi Salako University of Nevada - Las Vegas

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Vanessa W. Vongkulluksn Ph.D. University of Nevada - Las Vegas

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Dr. Vongkulluksn is an Assistant Professor in the Educational Psychology program at University of Nevada Las Vegas. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California. Her research examines student engagement as situated in specific learning contexts. She specializes in cognitive engagement in STEM learning, particularly in technology-integrated learning environments and for traditionally underserved students.

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Abstract

This study addresses mathematics intervention for STEM students at the large R1 university, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and the community college, College of Southern Nevada, in the Southwest. In the 2020-2021 academic year, only 21% of high school students in the primary Southwest School District, a major source of University of Nevada Las Vegas and College of Southern Nevada undergraduates, demonstrated math proficiency. This challenge is more pronounced for Latinx students in Title I schools. Despite engineering degrees requiring advanced math courses, most incoming freshmen are placed in basic math, resulting in a significant delay before reaching calculus. Since fall 2021, a co-requisite model has been implemented at College of Southern Nevada and University of Nevada Las Vegas, placing STEM students not yet math-ready in co-requisite precalculus. Literature suggests active learning, technology, and peer collaboration as effective remediation tools. To that end, Math Masters (M&M) games were developed in collaboration with the University of Nevada Las Vegas Center of Game Innovation, to supplement the co-requisite model. Following an iterative design process, the math games target basic arithmetic operations, functions, logarithmic and exponential modeling, and system of equations. The presented game on functions breaks down concepts for targeted intervention while employing place-based pedagogy to enhance engagement and math achievement. The ongoing research incorporates formative evaluation to refine the games and integrates quantitative and qualitative measures to assess M&M's impact on math knowledge, motivation, academic achievement, and engineering major persistence. This multifaceted approach aims to enhance the effectiveness of math remediation and foster success among STEM students at University of Nevada Las Vegas and College of Southern Nevada. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation, Grant #2225226.

Neda, M., & Rincon, B., & Sahl, D., & Pandey, A., & Mora Bornholdt, C., & Howard, J. W., & Salako, R., & Vongkulluksn, V. W. (2024, April), Enhancing Fundamental Math Skills of STEM Students Through Math Games Instruction Paper presented at 2024 ASEE PSW Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada. 10.18260/1-2--46036

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