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Creating A Mathematical Game Using Construct 2

The document describes how the author created a mathematics game called "Cartesian Blaster" using the Construct 2 game development program. The game aims to help students learn Cartesian coordinates by having them launch rockets at enemy ships on a grid. The author found Construct 2 easy to use for creating the basic game and adding features like multiple levels and high score tracking using Clay.io. While creating additional content made debugging more difficult, the author believes games can increase student engagement and motivation in learning math concepts when incorporated into lessons.

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Sisco L'amato Dio
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247 views3 pages

Creating A Mathematical Game Using Construct 2

The document describes how the author created a mathematics game called "Cartesian Blaster" using the Construct 2 game development program. The game aims to help students learn Cartesian coordinates by having them launch rockets at enemy ships on a grid. The author found Construct 2 easy to use for creating the basic game and adding features like multiple levels and high score tracking using Clay.io. While creating additional content made debugging more difficult, the author believes games can increase student engagement and motivation in learning math concepts when incorporated into lessons.

Uploaded by

Sisco L'amato Dio
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Creating a Mathematics

game using Construct 2

Drew Thomas

ames are something I have always been drawn to as a


teacher. Whether as a pen and paper exercise, or
utilising new technologies, the ability to make a game out
of learning can add a level of engagement. When teaching
mathematics, I have found it common to see struggle getting
their heads around Cartesian coordinates. In an attempt to
remedy this confusion, I created a web based game which I
called 'Cartesian Blaster'. Cartesian Blaster is a space-themed
game in the Battleship mould.

The program that I used to create Cartesian Blaster was


Construct 2, a game making program that has a free version to
download from https:// www.scirra.com/. The program is
windows-based, but the games created can be used on all
platforms as they run through the web browser.
The Construct 2 site contains an extensive list of tutorials and
example game templates. I found that after perusing a few of
the tutorials and utilising some of the supplied sprite images, I
was able to create a usable game, currently found at
http://ow.ly/rkpEG

device, either a phone of tablet (NPD, 2011). Given that


gaming is so ubiquitous, it would be a shame not to investigate
how it could be used to assist in education. If it is possible to
create a game that students will want to play, there is reason to
believe that learning could be assisted, and positive attitudes
towards maths could be fostered.

Using games as a part of the school curriculum could have a


number of benefits. It is estimated that 91% of US children and
young people play digital games, with over half owning a smart

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Volume 1 | Number 1 | 2014

frustration increases as their self-esteem decreases (Giannikos,


2013). The perfect level to aim for is to ensure that a player is
constantly in a state of cognitive disequilibrium, (Van Eck, 2006)
where they are being challenged, but with tasks that are not
seen as totally unachievable. One of the benefits of creating
your own game is the ability to tweak the difficulty fairly easily if
the challenges are too great or too trivial. The downside,
though, is that no-one else has done this adjustment for you.
Van Eck (2006) has noted that when games are effective, it is
because the learning takes part within a meaningful context.
When designing Cartesian Blaster, I attempted to ensure that

Numerous studies to discern the learning potential of digital


games have been undertaken, with varying results. One aspect
that has been consistently noted to arise from utilising games is
an increase in engagement and motivation (Perrotta,
Featherstone, Aston & Houghton, 2013).
Gros (2007) has claimed that although engagement and
motivation are beneficial, they are not enough for educational
purposes. If game playing were the only method of instruction,
this might be a reasonable assertion, but if game use can
increase motivation and a positive attitude towards
mathematics, then a student may be better prepared to
engage in traditional classroom activities. It has been found that
a learner's enjoyment of the game has a significant outcome on
their performance (Giannakos, 2013) so it stands to reason
that any game created should aim towards being enjoyable.

the learning was integral to game play. For example, in


Cartesian Blaster, there is an obvious reason why knowing
coordinates is important; if we can't name the spot on the
map, we can't hope to launch a rocket there! Hopefully by
making the educational aspects of the game intrinsically related,
I am able to better encourage learning.
One of the strengths of a computer based activity is the
availability of immediate feedback. In Cartesian Blaster, when a
player has entered their coordinates and hit the 'Launch'
button, an explosion sprite will appear at the location they
entered. If this was where they aimed, then the enemy will be
destroyed, and the player will be awarded points. If the
coordinates were not correct, rather than being provided the
correct answer, the player will have the opportunity to view
and adjust their calculations.
Programming the main aspects of my game in Construct 2 was
fairly straightforward. The main task was having all of the steps
and requirements logically laid out beforehand. For example,
when I launch at the enemy, an explosion appears. What
would I like to happen then?

The game was designed to have simple goals that presented a


challenge. Enemy aliens are attacking, and need to be located
quickly on a screen that contains a Cartesian plane. By acting
quickly, the enemy ships are restricted from damaging the
players' ship. Although the goal is straightforward, the task
becomes progressively more challenging as the player
develops their skill and progresses through levels.

If the explosion is overlapping with the enemy, I'd like to


destroy the enemy and add 100 points to my score. In
Construct 2, this collision would be called an event, and the
resultant destruction and point bonanza would be an action.

Games that are too easily solved will not be engaging (Van Eck,
2006). Conversely, if a player continues to fail at a task, their

The Journal of Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria

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Volume 1 | Number 1 | 2014

Making this event occur, is as simple as clicking on the event


sheet, choosing from a list of all possible objects, and then
selecting from a range of possible outcomes. It is important to
test and play the game to make sure that no important events
have been forgotten, such as making your explosion disappear
after a short period. Getting the game running in a basic
fashion didn't take an overly long time, but once I began to get
enthusiastic about adding multiple levels, high score tables, and
level unlocking, things began to take a bit longer, and fixing bugs
in the game became a bit less straightforward.

to allow their scores to be recorded. Clay.io provides options


to record all-time high scores, when any player gains an
achievement such as passing a level, and can keep a record of
each player's highest scores.
Construct 2 is a fantastic platform for game creation, and I look
forward to using it again, possibly even teaching a game
creation unit to interested students. I feel that it was a good
platform for creating the type of game that I desired, or a
scrolling platform game, but wouldn't necessarily suit someone
looking to create a more text-based game. While certainly not
a project that I would recommend for everyone, creating a
game for teaching purposes has provided me with new
perspectives on which sort of games I would add to my
teaching repertoire.

To add a sense of socialisation and competition to the game I


opted to create a record of high scores. To do this, I referred
to one of the online tutorials which stepped me through the
process of using an add-on called Clay.io to store high scores.
On entering the game, players are asked to input a username

References
Giannakos, M. N. (2013). Enjoy and Learn with Educational Games: Examining Factors Affecting Learning Performance. Computers & Education. doi:
10.1016/j.compedu.2013.06.005
Gros, B. (2007). Digital Games in Education: The Design of game-based learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 40(1), 23-38.
NPD (2011) The Video Game Industry Is Adding 2-17 Year-Old Gamers at a Rate Higher Than That Age Groups Population Growth. Accessed 17/10/2013
https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/pr_111011/
Perrotta, C., Featherstone, G., Aston, H., & Houghton, E. (2013). Game-based learning: latest evidence and future directions.
Squire, K. (2005). Changing the game: What happens when video games enter the classroom. Innovate: Journal of online education, 1(6).
Van Eck, R. (2006). Digital game-based learning: It's not just the digital natives who are restless. EDUCAUSE review, 41(2), 16.

The Journal of Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria

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Volume 1 | Number 1 | 2014

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