Beyond Traditional Teaching: Games and Origami as Tools for Mathematics Learning

This study examines whether non-digital games and origami can make mathematics instruction more engaging for pre-service teachers at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. Motivated by the perception that mathematics classrooms can feel monotonous, the authors designed and deployed paper-and-pencil games and origami activities within a first-year course covering geometry and problem solving. Because the course itself emphasized paper-based work and addressed foundational skill gaps, the activities were deliberately kept non-digital.

The activities comprised three non-digital mathematics games, including Euclid's Regatta, Symmetry in Action, and Problem Basket, alongside three origami activities: Euclid's Boat, Greenhouses, and The Fraction Fish. Students completed a voluntary, anonymous end-of-semester questionnaire, with about 27 of 41 attending students responding, a sample predominantly female and aged 19 to 33. Ratings were uniformly positive. Game-based activities averaged roughly 4.2 to 4.3 on the rating scale, with Euclid's Regatta the most appreciated and Mysterious Symmetry the most divisive. Origami activities scored similarly, between about 4.0 and 4.4, with Euclid's Boat rated highest.

The authors conclude that both approaches increased engagement and motivation. These conclusions rest on self-reported perceptions and teacher field notes rather than measured learning outcomes, a limitation that bounds how far the findings can be generalized. The study's scope is a single institution and a single course cohort, and it offers preliminary evidence that tactile, non-digital mathematical activities can be well received by future teachers, while leaving open questions about their effect on actual mathematical achievement.