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Background: Game‐based learning can frame problem‐solving as a sense‐making experience with domain‐specific tasks for school students. However, multiple challenges arise when trying to support learners in such a complex, problem‐oriented learning environment. Objectives and Methods: With an architecture‐themed mathematics learning game, we conducted two mixed‐method studies to explore the impact and design of game‐based mathematical experience on the math problem‐solving performance of middle school students. Results and Conclusions: The study findings suggested a positive impact of game‐based math experience on math problem‐solving for middle school students. Problematization‐oriented game‐based math tasks with structuring features enhanced students' reasoning with problems and channelled it to doing mathematics. Takeaways: The current research findings support the initiative to frame learning as a sense‐making experience with domain‐specific tasks and inform the design of game‐based mathematical experience and learning support. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Realistic mathematical practices frame learning as a sense‐making experience.Challenges arise when involving learners in realistic mathematical experiences driven by domain‐specific tasks. What this paper adds: Game‐based simulation of math tasks framed learning as sense‐making experience.Game‐based math experiencing promoted math contextual problem‐solving performance.Structuring features enhanced problematized experiencing with math tasks. Implications for practice and/or policy: Teachers can integrate and facilitate game‐based math experiencing in class.Efforts should be made to make game‐based math tasks meaningful for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The substantial growth in gamification research has connected gamified learning to enhanced engagement, improved performance, and greater motivation. Similar to gamification, personalized learning analytics dashboards can enhance student engagement. Objectives: This study explores the student experiences and academic achievements using a gamified dashboard in a large, introductory STEM course. Methods: We examined two groups of students enrolled in different sections of a one‐semester‐long physical geology course with a total enrollment of 223 students. The only difference between the groups was that one had access to the dashboard. The data collection included students' assignments, overall performances, and exam scores. Students in both sections completed a Science Literacy Concept Inventory survey at the beginning and end of the term. Additionally, students completed an end‐of‐term survey containing open‐ended questions on their experience and interactions with specific elements. Results: Students shared mostly positive comments about their experience with the dashboard, and the final grade of students with access to the dashboard was 13% higher, on average, compared to their peers in the non‐dashboard section. Conclusion: With low costs and little time invested, gamified dashboards could have a significant impact on student performance in large STEM lecture courses. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Leaner dashboards that provide personalized feedback are linked to improved student performance in undergraduate STEM courses. However, students may be reticent to adopt dashboards, especially students in the middle range of the performance distribution, for whom the impact of the dashboard may be most significant.Prior research on gamification in STEM courses suggests that adding gameful elements like progress trackers, badges, and rewards can increase students' engagement in undergraduate coursework.The combination of personalized learning in dashboards and the motivational experience of gamification should boost student engagement, dashboard adoption, and ultimately foster academic achievement. What this paper adds: In this paper, we examine the differences in academic performance between students with and without access to a gamified learning dashboard in an undergraduate Geology course.We observe that students with access to the dashboard (the treatment group), outperform students without access (the control group). The greatest benefit is observed for students who use the dashboard more frequently.Students reported that the progress tracker, the badges, and the rewards all incentivized their use and provided useful feedback about their performance. Students who did not adopt the dashboard expressed a need for more detail about the tool and its purpose. Implications for practice and/or policy: Instructors and instructional designers for large enrollment undergraduate STEM courses should consider the affordances of gamified learner dashboards for increasing engagement and for providing synchronous feedback about learners' strategies in the course.Aligning the dashboard to the content of the curriculum—by ensuring that badges reflect key concepts‐ encouraged participation and helped students identify the utility of the tool. Dashboards should be personalized to individuals and to the course.Adding gameful elements in a low‐cost intervention for increasing adoption and engagement of dashboards in large enrollment introductory courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mobile learning studies often focus on teachers' perspectives. This study instead considers students' experiences of learning with mobile devices (i.e., m‐learning) in secondary school mathematics and science. Objectives: The research aims to describe the m‐learning experiences of secondary mathematics and science students, and to determine the extent to which distinctive pedagogical dimensions impact students' perceived learning. Methods: A survey instrument using the iPAC mobile pedagogical framework as a theoretical lens is developed and validated. This framework highlights three pedagogical dimensions: personalization, authenticity, and collaboration. Structural equation modelling is used to investigate how each dimension predicts students' perceived improvement in learning, whilst accounting for usage context, among a sample of students in schools where mobile devices are used extensively. Results and Conclusions: Students were in agreement that personalization was a characteristic of their m‐learning experiences, but authentic and collaborative learning were not as strongly featured. M‐learning activities fostering personalization were most important for improving perceived learning; authenticity and collaboration were also significant, but no differences in perceived learning improvement due to location were found. Authentic m‐learning and perceived improvement in learning with mobile devices were significantly higher in science than mathematics subjects. Implications: When teachers design m‐learning tasks that enhance personalization, collaboration, and authenticity, students are predicted to perceive improvements in their learning. The findings suggest that teachers should consider designing technology‐enhanced tasks that improve students' experiences of collaborative and authentic learning, particularly in mathematics for greatest gains in students' perceived improvement in learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic:Mobile learning studies often focus on teachers' perspectives and practices or expert commentaries.Issues of usability, access, engagement, motivation, and potential risk are often highlighted rather than pedagogical factors.Mobile technologies provide students with opportunities for more personalized and autonomous seamless experiences across learning contexts.Science teachers frequently use authentic and project‐based m‐learning opportunities, whilst mathematics teachers prefer didactic, drill and practice approaches.What this paper adds:This study focuses on students' m‐learning in secondary mathematics and science.A multi‐item scale considering aspects of authenticity, personalization, collaboration and context is developed and validated.Personalization in m‐learning activities are most important for perceived learning, followed by authenticity and collaboration.Science students report greater authenticity and perceived learning in m‐learning than mathematics students.Implications for practice and/or policy:Highlighting the student perspective is a valued lens to evaluate m‐learning pedagogy and outcomes in student learning.Efforts should be made to develop mobile pedagogies, particularly with respect to authenticity and collaboration.Teachers in mathematics would benefit most from examining practices that improve authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]