Math Quest: Learning Multiplication Through Interaction
Role: Designer, Researcher, Collaborator
Collaborators: Yatish Juneja, Vidya Zuluk, Komal Jain, Sukriti Mukherjee
Project Overview
Math Quest is an interactive installation aimed at helping children aged 6-10 learn multiplication tables in a fun, engaging, and non-traditional way. Through a playful, outdoor adventure setup, the project integrates game mechanics and social interaction to transform rote memorization into an enjoyable, interactive learning experience. By leveraging concepts like repeated addition and visual stimulation, the installation encourages active participation, fostering conceptual understanding while children play.
Design Focus
The goal was to design an installation where children could engage with multiplication tables without the typical stress of studying. The installation is designed to:
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Help children learn multiplication tables through fun, interactive challenges.
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Encourage collaborative play, building social interaction alongside individual learning.
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Provide immediate feedback, reinforcing learning through success and improvement.
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Be adaptable to various environments, from parks to schools, ensuring flexibility.
User Research
Conducted 18 interviews with 9 students, 6 teachers, and 3 parents, gathering insights into current learning methods, challenges, and preferences. Key findings included:
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Learning Methods: Repeated addition was preferred for conceptual understanding, while memorization and pattern recognition were key for recall.
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Engagement: Children enjoy activity-based learning, with a preference for games and interactive challenges over traditional methods.
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Challenges: Kids struggled with random question answering and memorization, often viewing multiplication tables as tedious.
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Parental/Teacher Influence: A positive, supportive environment is critical for effective learning.
Design Exploration
The installation was conceptualized as a multiplayer, interactive jungle gym with a touch-screen interface. Key features:
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Customizable Characters: Children can choose characters to represent them in the game, making it more personalized and fun.
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Progression System: Kids move through levels as they correctly tap multiples of chosen tables, visualized as a growing army of characters.
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AR-Based Gameplay: An augmented reality projection simulates space, where children form constellations by stepping on multiples of their chosen table (e.g., multiples of 13).
Key Insights from User Testing
Testing with children revealed several important insights:
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Character Customization: Children loved selecting their favorite characters and seeing them progress as they learned.
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Social Learning: Multiplayer play encouraged collaboration over competition, with younger kids often helping each other understand the concepts.
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Engagement: Despite the educational purpose, kids viewed the game as “not studies” but a fun challenge they wanted to play every day.
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Understanding: Some younger children (6 years old) took longer to grasp the concept, but they still enjoyed the interactive nature of the installation. They understood that the ‘+2’ animations reflected their army growing, which tied into the concept of repeated addition.
Further Considerations
As part of continuous improvement, the following aspects need to be addressed:
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Expand Features: Based on feedback, expand gameplay and character options to deepen learning and increase engagement.
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User Feedback Integration: Continue to adapt the installation’s difficulty and user interface based on actual use and observations.
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Environmental Adaptation: Make sure the installation can easily transition between different settings, such as parks, schools, or creches, while remaining interactive.
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Maintenance: Develop a system that is easy to maintain and update for future use, including any technological improvements.
Outcomes
The Math Quest installation successfully achieved its goals of making multiplication tables engaging and accessible to children. It demonstrated the power of interactive learning, collaborative play, and real-time feedback. The feedback from both children and educators was overwhelmingly positive, with children particularly enjoying the fun, game-like environment, and educators appreciating the reduction in stress and pressure traditionally associated with learning math.
Final Thoughts
Math Quest merges educational content with engaging gameplay, making learning multiplication tables a fun, stress-free experience for children. The project highlights the importance of making learning interactive, personalized, and enjoyable, creating a safe and inclusive environment for children to develop important skills.
