Learning from number board games: you learn what you encode.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Educational psychology
• Developmental psychology

Background:

• Number board games can support numerical cognition.
• The way children interact with game mechanics influences learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if encoding numerical-spatial relations in number board games is crucial for learning.
• To compare the effectiveness of different counting strategies within a game context.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Microgenetic design with kindergartners playing a 0-100 number board game using either count-on or count-from-1 procedures.
• Experiment 2: Assessed learning from numeral encoding practice outside the game context.

Main Results:

• Kindergartners using the count-on strategy showed enhanced encoding of numerical-spatial relations, improved number line estimates, numeral identification, and count-on skills.
• The count-from-1 strategy resulted in significantly less learning.
• Practicing numeral encoding outside the game did not yield comparable improvements in number line estimation.

Conclusions:

• The count-on strategy in number board games effectively promotes the encoding of numerical-spatial relations.
• Aligning learning activities with desired mental representations, like using count-on within a game, is vital for effective learning.
• Context-specific practice within engaging formats like board games is more beneficial than decontextualized drills.