Tacoma Public Schools is the first school district in Washington state to implement a pilot program using immersive educational video games. Several middle schools and one high school are testing the games in pre-algebra and algebra classes with the aim of engaging students in navigating the complexities of learning and mastering math.
Tacoma School Board member, Kim Golding, who first learned of the research-based DimensionM™ games while attending an educational technology conference in Seattle, became an advocate for bringing the learning technology to area classrooms.
“I completely understand how young students would find authentic video game technology appealing,” said Golding. “This generation wants to be entertained while learning and what better way to meet that need than by way of a participatory game platform fused with standards-based curriculum.”
Teachers who will be participating in the pilot program will undergo training prior to integrating the video games into their lesson plans.
Correlated to standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and all 50 states, the DimensionM games help students to master multifaceted mathematical concepts within three-dimensional, lesson-based environments.
“We are always looking for new ways to make math learning relevant in the lives of our students,” said Andy Coons, instructional technology facilitator for Tacoma Public Schools. “These are 21st century learners; they don’t learn the same way we adults did. They thrive with being hands-on and respond to inquiry-based learning.”
