The Design And Development Of Game-based Courseware On Primary Mathematics

Game-based courseware is a kind of instructional game by computer, but it isdeferent from general electronic game software because it has a clear objective ofteaching and it can enable students obtaining academic knowledge and skills throughexciting playing. It is an organic combination of multimedia courseware andelectronic game and has both advantages of them .It will be a rich potentialapplications direction of computer education in the future.The article defined the Game-based courseware at first, and then discussed itsbasic nature, the general process of development and theoretical foundation.Game-based courseware has both common feature of general multimedia coursewareand its own personality,and its development process is different from the others,theoretical basis is broader. The design of game-based courseware not only needinstructional design as guide but also need multiple intelligences, games teaching,game design theory as support.Then the thesis analyzed features of the disciplines of primary mathematics,teaching goals, curricula and school psychological characteristics, and drawngame-based courseware is a significant means achieving first-rate instructional effect.There are reasons as follows: First, it is conducive to stimulate students' interest andenthusiasm of learning. Second, it can adapt to the individual differences of studentsand all students develop completely. Third, it focuses on the holistic development ofstudents. Fourth, it can reduce student's burden of learning. At the same time, itstated game-based courseware of primary mathematics should have more emphasis onlifelikeness and embodiment, more focus on prompting and closer to life, andoperations of this courseware should be great simple.On this basis, the thesis researched instructional design, structure and planning,and design of external effects and operational interface in regard to primarymathematics' game-based courseware. It is he primary key part of the design study.Instructional design is the prerequisite and basis for the design of the software, andgood instructional design can ensure games to be educative, while laying thefoundation for the integration of education and game. Structure and planning focusedon design of the formal elements and dramatic elements, at the same time searchedthe way of their integrating in the teaching of mathematics in primary schools. Formalelements compose the structure of game-based courseware, including players,objectives, operation, rules, resources, conflict and results and so on. The thesisdescribed all of them and analyzed matter should be considered when instructed themin a primary mathematics game-based courseware and indicated them with thedomestic and international examples. With formal elements this type of coursewarehas the form of game, but if it would be attractive dramatic elements should bedesigned. Dramatic elements attract students to participate in games from theemotional element, such as figures, stories and challenges. Acting the expression ofdramatic figures, only having a distinct personality characteristics figures can beloved by students. Challenge is not a simple or a very difficult task, only when itsdifficulty matches student' ability and change with the change of student's ability, itcan attract students. The story is a powerful elements to attract students feelings and itcan make game come into the hearts of students when be e integrated into the game. Itoften be used as a background, but it how to integrate with game and mathematicslearning need further study.Finally, at the basis of the theoretical research the author produced a game-basedcourseware named "small campus gardener",which can help learning "polygon areacalculation" witch is important contents of the Primary Mathematics.