The Game of Dominoes as Teaching-Learning Method of Basic Concepts of Differential Calculus

This paper examines whether a dominoes game can serve as an effective teaching-learning method for basic concepts of single-variable differential calculus. The author designs a set of 28 domino tiles in which matching is based on mathematical equivalence rather than numerical pips, so that each pairing links propositions expressing the same concept. Seven core ideas are covered: constant average rate of change, monotonicity, critical points, optimization, inflection points, concavity, and derivation rules. The stated aim is to shift student engagement from passive reception of teacher explanations toward active reasoning, discussion, and collaboration, and the work is framed within game-based learning and serious-game theory.

The study is an experimental action-research design conducted with 90 first-semester engineering students at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, divided into two experimental groups and one control group of 30 students each. All groups completed a five-question multiple-choice pre-test and post-test separated by five weeks of instruction. Only the experimental groups played the dominoes game, twice, as a conceptual review, with scoring rules that rewarded correct first placements and penalized errors, followed by a small end-of-course competition. Observational notes and a student perception survey supplemented the quantitative data.

Reported results show that the experimental group began with a low baseline, with 64% scoring 40 or below, and that the control group's baseline was similar. On the post-test, 53% of experimental students scored 80 or above, compared with roughly 11.5% in the control group, and an independent-samples t-test yielded a p-value of 0.003 at the 5% significance level. The author also reports that students showed higher motivation and collaboration, with peers naturally supporting less-skilled classmates. Limitations acknowledged include the risk that some students delegate participation to teammates, and the study's reliance on a single institution, a short intervention window, and a small, non-randomized assessment instrument.