The idea of using board games to learn mathematical concepts may be new to some. In fact, giving learners an activity that is fun is a classic approach in mathematics teaching..
Fun in the pedagogical literature
Jean Parker said it well in the year 1955: “[A] good teacher tries to secure the attention of his students by presenting the subject they are studying in an attractive form, and to instill its principles, if possible, by processes agreeable to the student.” (Parker, 1955)
And as long ago as 1924, Augusta Barnes wrote, “The question of interest is the foundation of all true methods of teaching. If the subject of mathematics could be made more interesting to the pupil, many of our most perplexing problems would be solved… [Using] puzzles and devices for arousing interest is not a new idea. Such things may be employed in our teaching as legitimately as much of the material we are now using, and perhaps more effectively, to vitalize the subject of mathematics …, to sharpen the faculties of the students, and to arouse in them an appreciation of the power and the beauty of mathematics.” (Barnes, 1924)
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References
Barnes, Augusta. 1924. “Making Mathematics Interesting.” The Mathematics Teacher 17(7): 404–410.
Parker, Jean. 1955. “The Use of Puzzles in Teaching Mathematics.” The Mathematics Teacher 48(4): 218-227.
August 19, 2020