INQUIRY-BASED INFORMAL MATHEMATICS LEARNING IN A SCIENCE CENTER

Paper in proceeding, 2023

This paper presents a study of how science center visitors engage with two different game-based mathematics exhibits to investigate inquiry-based informal mathematics learning in a science center. Inquiry-based learning is a broad pedagogical approach supported by many educators and education systems [1]. It is a learner-centred approach closely connected to project-based and experiential learning. Inquiry in education originates from John Dewey theory of inquiry [2], in which inquiry is seen as the basis of discovery as well as learning. Inquiry-based learning utilizes critical and creative thinking and relies on learners’ ability to ask questions, experiment, invent and test hypotheses, and communicate ideas, arguments, and findings. Hence, it is related to the scientific method of inquiry and according to Dewey “close to the attitude of the scientific mind” [3]. The method is less common in mathematics compared to science education, due to its perceived inaccessibility.

Inquiry is mainly organized as collaborative tasks where learners are stimulated by challenges or probing questions. Dewey sees inquiry as a situated process where the interplay between known and unknown become crucial for driving the investigation [1], such as when a group of individuals engage in a challenge. Through reflective inquiry, learning can emerge as an adaptive process connecting experiences with sensations and ideas. However, as Dewey points out; not all experiences are “genuinely or equally educative” [2], and therefore we must investigate how these inquiry-based experiences unfold in practice.

The nature of inquiry-based learning makes educational games a reasonable approach to create intriguing and challenging activities; yet limited enough to allow for exploration and discovery within a given topic. Games are also suitable for informal learning at science centers. In this study, we investigate visitors’ interactions and discourses while using two new game-based exhibits connected to mathematics. One exhibit is a two-player game targeting the Nobel prize-winning Nash equilibrium, which is a psychologically intriguing and strategic game. The other exhibit is a problem-solving challenge of finding a hidden arithmetic computation, a game called Nerdle. Both exhibits are designed to inspire inquiry by providing hints and probing questions during gameplay. Participants are recruited from ordinary visitors, and their interactions are documented using video observations capturing discussions, gameplay and reactions to hints and probing questions. The visitors’ inquiry actions will be identified and categorized. The purpose is to understand and compare the two exhibits regarding: the types of inquiries that emerge, how collaboration unfolds, and the role of scaffolding support and guidance in the inquiry process. The findings inform mathematics education and exhibit design. The main contributions are the method of inquiry-based informal learning, the design of inquiry-based learning games and the evaluation of inquiry-based learning opportunities.