Trashketball: A Virtual Math Facts Game
Proof of Product:
This document outlines a game proposal for a PC game that increases math fact fluency.
Terminal Objective:
To achieve mastery of the learning goal, students will recall 25 mixed operational (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) math facts (0 – 12) with automaticity within a 60 second period.
After completion of the instructionally grounded math game, students will recall basic math facts of sums, differences, products, and quotients up to 12 with speed and accuracy.
Role in Project:
This game was designed for the course “Instructional Game Design for Training and Education” at UCF in which I collaborated with 2 other teammates to produce the following documents.
I facilitated the group meetings, edited, and submitted all documents.
Overview
Trashketball is an educational platform video game aimed at basketball enthusiasts 6th grade and above who want to increase their math fact recall accuracy and speed for facts 0 – 12 (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). This instructional video game is aimed at students who may need extra enrichment at a high interest, low level. The goal of the game is simple: gain a spot on the “All Star” trashketball team by navigating through math themed worlds. The game consists of four unique worlds, each of which differs in computational skill (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). As mathletes navigate their way to Trashketball tryouts they must dodge obstacles, defeat enemies, and maneuver their way to the arena where they must answer 25 math questions to gain admission to tryouts. Once in, they must shoot their collected trash into the garbage, earning points for speed and accuracy. Players have unlimited time to shoot the trash but must beat the #1 AI opponents score on the “Hall of Fame” scoreboard to earn a spot on the team. Competitors will begin as a streetballers then will progress through the following levels on their way to All Star status: Streetballer: 0 – 3, Rookie: 0 – 6, Minor Leaguer: 0 – 9, and NBA Baller 0 – 12.
a) Goal Analysis
The whole task goal analysis shown in Figure 1 shows the varying degrees of difficulty students will experience while playing the instructional video game Trashketball: A Math Facts Game. Students will work to “level up” through completion of the tasks below. To achieve mastery, students will show that they are able to solve math problems 0 – 12 for each of the operations: addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication, overcome obstacles, and score points during Trashketball tryouts as described below. Within each of the 4 worlds (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) there are 4 levels students must beat in order to become a member of the All Star team. Levels begin easy (streetballer) then increase in difficulty in three main areas: the range of math facts to recall, how many enemies the player must defeat per level, and how many points a player must score in their Trashketball game to be recruited to the team.
b) Learner Analysis
Table 1 shows a learner analysis for the instructional video game, Trashketball. This game is aimed for students in grades six and above, due to a more “mature” storyline approach to learning basic computational skills. Students engaging in this game will typically fall below grade level and will benefit from this drill-and-practice platform game. The table describes learner characteristics of the entry behaviors, prior knowledge of topic, attitudes towards content information and delivery system, motivation for game play, general learning preferences, and general group characteristics as well as implications on how to best account for information categories. As Table 1 points out, students will generally be able to navigate the delivery system of the game but may need direct instruction to learn important concepts pertaining to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Data analysis was derived from an interview with an SME (ESE Math Instructor) as well as interviews with 5 students ranging in age 15-22, it should be noted that further data collection is needed to increase the accuracy of the analysis.
Features
Brings high interest concepts to a remediated academic level to ensure students maintain motivation and high-performance results.
Includes 5 unique worlds: Addition Alley, Subtraction Sea, Multiplication Mall, Division Defender, and All Star Arena.
Players can customize their own avatar character and win upgrades to their uniform throughout the game.
Students can choose their rate of progression through each world.
“Warm-up” area allows students to practice targeted math facts.
Trashketball is a 1 player game with an online multi-player option.
a) Story Elements
Trashketball consists of three main story elements: characters, setting, and plot, as described in the following document. Here is a preview of the characters and setting.
Hook and Ordinary World (Plot Elements)
Do you think you have what it takes to escape detention to become the ultimate baller?
The story begins with the student seated in math class as the mono-tone Mr. Walton drones on about basketball tryouts in the background. Slowly, the screen fades into a daydream in which the player envisions themselves playing basketball for their school’s varsity school. The player awakens when a classmate hands them a paper ball and dares them to throw it into the trash can across the room. The player has no choice but to accept and when they do, a tutorial will be triggered in which they learn the how to shoot the ball. After the tutorial, the player attempts their first shot at the trashcan and either makes the shot, or misses. Either way, this upsets Mr. Walton and he punishes the student to after school detention.
In detention, the player meets an old-time basketball agent, Terry Jaguar, who explains he’s there to watch the student at basketball tryouts this afternoon and asks the player if they will be there. The player quietly explains how they ended up in detention and asks Agent Jaguar to help him convince Mr. Walton to let them out early so they can make it to tryouts on time. It turns out, they are friends and is able to make a deal: the player may leave early if they can make Mr. Walton happy. To do this, all they have to do is get an A on their 5-part math quiz.
The player agrees to the deal and Agent Jaguar informs the student he’ll be back to check them soon, then leaves.
The student begins the quiz and is immediately interrupted by a classmate, Stephanie Flurry who eagerly introduces the student to the underground detention game, Trashketball. She offers the player a tour around the room and explains how to find key aspects of the game such as the leaderboard, practice, and homework areas.
Mr. Woods then interrupts the students and prompts them to get to work which they happily do.
b) Play Elements
Players will jump, crouch, run, stop, and slide their way through different platform-based worlds. Each world will contain obstacles that the player must avoid in order to reach the end destination of the Trashketball arena for league tryouts. The game consists of primary and secondary mechanics which together make up the "core” mechanics of Trashketball and are described below in Table 4: Trashketball: Primary Mechanics and Table 5: Secondary Mechanics.
Primary Mechanic
The primary mechanic of any game is the repetitive action players perform throughout the game. Trashketball’s primary mechanic is maneuvering as players will use the arrows on the keyboard to run, jump, crouch, turn, duck, or walk to the end destination of the trashketball arena. The stimulus, response, and consequence are described below.
c) Game Elements
Trashketball is an educational sports adventure game that keeps students engaged and eager to learn math. The game is comprised of goals, tools, and rules as described in the section below. These elements follow the sports adventure theme and help students achieve a meaningful emotional experience as well as increase math proficiency through adventure-style gameplay.
Goals
Players will be challenged with many clear and concise game goals throughout their Trashketball gameplay experience to encourage high engagement. As players navigate through each of the 5 platform-style levels they will attempt to achieve six main categories of goals which include: exploration, conflict resolution, capture, advancement, race, and avoid. Table 6. Trashketball: A Math Facts Game – Goals gives a description of each goal as well as the goal’s win and loss state.
How to Win
If the player successfully completes each challenge and obstacle with at least 80% accuracy, then the player will be able to claim a win at the end of the game. For a player to win with the “All-Star” level then the player must complete all challenges and obstacles with 100% accuracy.
Failure
If the player does not complete any challenges or obstacles with at least 80% accuracy, within the three chances given then this player has lost the game. When a player loses, the buzzer sounds, and a big paper ball appears on screen that reads “Game Over”. Players will distribute any street-cred points earned and then will be directed to the detention room. In the detention room, the players will be greeted by their mentor who will give them a pep talk and some pointers on how to improve their game. Players then choose to do drill-style practice where they may earn rewards or restart the arena that they could not complete previously, without penalty, once they are in the detention room.
The photos depict the design of Trashketball: Prototype – Version 4. This game has upgraded features from version 2 to incorporate goals, rules, and tools and include: updated event cards with opportunities to trigger a mini-Trashketball quiz game, a “Happiness Meter” to encourage conflict resolution, special event cards with level-themed cards which include powerups and paper balls to earn street cred. An interactive leaderboard and a “Lifeline” tool option have also been added to enhance the goals, tools, and rules aspects of the game. The game begins and ends with the Trashketball Shooting Game, as shown in Figure 4: Trashketball hoop Photo, to provide a hands on experience that students connect with. The boardgame as shown in Figure 5: Trashketball Boardgame – v.4, is utilized to navigate the player through 5 different settings and themed cards all while practicing math facts and engaging in an exciting plot line