Level 2 Wrap Up Serious Game (Math) Design:

Game Title

The power of abstraction (tentative title version 2), an ingenious abstraction (tentative title
version 1).

Learning Concept

Proportionality is a mathematical concept used in everyday life and taught in middle
school. Britannica says, “A proportion is typically set up to solve a word problem in which one of
its four quantities is unknown.” Many games present students with this kind of problem and
guide them to follow a procedure and solve for an unknown quantity.
However, there is no game that I know of that focuses on abstract reasoning, guides
learners in connecting concepts, and support them in growing a deep understanding of what
proportionality is all about. That is my goal. It is about an abstract idea and guiding players to
make sense of it. A conceptual understanding of mathematical reasoning is critical for students to implement correct procedures and apply proportional reasoning effectively throughout their
school years and future professional life.

Learning Objectives

Math common core standards address the game’s learning topics from Grade 6 and beyond.
The game offers opportunities to develop a robust but straightforward mathematics model
connecting the underlying concepts of proportional relationships with algebraic expressions,
linear functions, and constant ratios of two–column data. When completed, the player can
recognize that all paths and representations lead to the same results but with a different point of view. This pedagogical approach promotes connecting ideas and open possibilities to work
toward higher levels of thinking while addressing the upper levels of Bloom taxonomy (Iowa
State University, n.d.) such as analyzing and evaluating options.