Playing with Ideas and Games in Early Mathematics

This article investigates learning in an out-of-school informal computer club. Particularly, it sought to elucidate information about mathematical learning and understandings that were displayed when children played and interacted in computer-based contexts. It was also concerned with the social processes inherent to game playing and the design features of computer games which appealed to children. The data revealed that mathematical understandings can be promoted and practised in computer games and that the structure and design of the game determined the amount and quality of the interactions that children engage in. Children of all ages preferred games that had a design element and catered for different levels of participation. Additionally, they liked games that had a narrative and adventure context in which activities were situated with some purpose.