Game-based course design: A new approach for effective online teaching

Abstract

The following short paper presents the methodology used to create a game-based course (GBC) with Variant: Limits™. The course used an educational game to make game-based learning the core of instruction in a calculus course to increase student engagement, motivation, knowledge gain and knowledge retention. Variant: Limits, an educational video, focuses on the conceptual understanding of complex calculus concepts. The GBC was a four-week, online course taught at Texas A&M University. While the game was the center of the course design, a game-based learning model was applied to integrate gameplay experience with real-world subject learning. Students were able to maximize the application of the game while learning calculus. At the conclusion of the GBC, the overall results show that students were engaged in the game and course, and gained a deeper understanding of the mathematical concepts presented within Variant: Limits.