Using Digital Games to Learn Mathematics: What Students Think?

Digital games offer a potential, albeit nuanced, pedagogical tool for mathematics education at the university foundation level. While 78 percent of students identify as active gamers, their enthusiasm for integrating these digital experiences into formal mathematics curricula remains only moderately positive. Gaming habits, which often diverge along gender lines—with males favoring action, strategy, and sports titles and females preferring puzzle and simulation genres—do not serve as the primary indicator for academic receptivity. Instead, the effectiveness of game-based learning is fundamentally anchored in a student’s pre-existing affective engagement and interest in mathematics.

Academic discipline plays a significant role in shaping these attitudes, as engineering and science students consistently demonstrate higher levels of mathematical confidence compared to their peers in the social sciences. Statistical analysis confirms that while gender-based genre preferences exist, they are secondary to the influence of a student’s academic background and their underlying disposition toward the subject matter. Consequently, technology confidence and behavioral engagement with games are insufficient drivers for academic success if the student lacks an initial interest in the mathematical content itself.

These findings suggest that digital games are not a universal panacea for mathematics education. Rather than serving as a standalone solution for disengaged learners, game-based learning functions most effectively as a supplementary tool for students who already possess a positive attitude toward the discipline. Educators looking to leverage digital games must prioritize fostering an appreciation for mathematics as a prerequisite, while simultaneously tailoring game genres to align with student preferences to maximize engagement and learning outcomes. By recognizing that academic interest dictates the success of digital interventions, institutions can more strategically implement technology to support diverse student cohorts.