Potencial do uso de jogos digitais no aprendizado de matemática: desenvolvimento e avaliação de um recurso didático interativo

Abstract

The low performance in Mathematics in Brazil, and the lack of student motivation create the need for new teaching strategies. Digital games emerge as a promising educational tool, capable of engaging students in learning the basic operations of Elementary School 1. The general objective of this work was to quantitatively evaluate the potential of an educational digital game as a playful tool in the learning of basic Mathematics operations. The methodology involved submission to the UTFPR Ethics Committee, followed by data collection from five pedagogy professionals through an initial questionnaire. Based on these requirements, a 2D pixel art game was developed using the Godot Engine and LibreSprite. The prototype was then tested by the professionals, who answered a final evaluative questionnaire on a Likert scale. The result was a 2D platform game where the player, controlling a calculator, recovers the four basic mathematical operations through puzzles and battles against letters. The quantitative evaluation with the professionals demonstrated high acceptance; 100% of the participants strongly agreed that the game has the potential to engage students, increase interest in the subject, and that students would be receptive to its use. The challenge elements were considered motivating, and the game was seen as an effective tool to assist the curriculum and facilitate the understanding of abstract concepts. It is concluded that the developed digital game meets the proposed objectives, presenting high potential as an auxiliary tool in teaching mathematics. The evaluation validated the playful approach as motivating and effective for the development of problem-solving skills and for the understanding of abstract mathematical concepts.