If you are not a math person, consider boosting your skills for your career’s sake. The market for jobs requiring advanced math skills is expected to grow faster than other occupations through 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If you’re not a math person and would like to be, consider gaming to boost your skills. Educational games for adults integrate game mechanics into the teaching-learning process, with the intrinsic structure of the game promoting problem-solving skills.
How Games Help With Math
In essence, games are built around a core narrative or a mission where the gamer must conquer challenges or puzzles that require logical reasoning, strategy formation and decision making. These abilities are indispensable when learning math.
Just like math, gamification is rooted in problem-solving and perseverance. Gamers confront a connected flow of challenges based on their real-time decisions rather than engaging in isolated problems.
Gamified environments present players with obstacles that require them to make quick assessments and judgments. Their decisions result in immediate feedback and consequences, but they play on whether they fail or succeed because the game doesn’t stop. The game presents the next stimulus that requires the next response, and as that stimulus-response loop repeats, learners build problem-solving skills and perseverance.
A well-designed game is challenging and also encourages creative and strategic thinking challenges learners while encouraging them to think creatively and strategically, enabling them to apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate various problems.
Many educational games also encourage effective teamwork, bolstering adults’ collaborative problem-solving skills. This practice deepens their understanding of mathematical concepts by permitting them to explore different perspectives and solutions.
6 Games That Boost Math Skills
Educational gamification makes acquiring and mastering essential math skills an engaging and even addictive experience. Gamified math tools make complex concepts more accessible and learning math more enjoyable. Here are six examples of educational gamification platforms designed for adults.
Photomath
While not a traditional game, Photomath gamifies learning by offering instant problem-solving gratification. Users simply take a picture of a handwritten or printed math problem, and Photomath instantly provides a step-by-step solution. For working adults grappling with calculus, algebra or trigonometry, this app can demystify complex problems and reinforce learning through real-time solutions and explanations.
Brilliant
Brilliant caters to a wide range of ages and skill levels, making it particularly useful for employed professionals seeking to sharpen their math skills. Brilliant uses interactive explorations and a problem-based approach to teach mathematical concepts, offering an array of courses including algebra, number theory and calculus. Users build knowledge through story-like narratives and active problem solving, which can be both challenging and rewarding.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy remains a standout resource for self-paced learning, with its extensive library of practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard. Adults can specifically benefit from its advanced math courses through gamification elements such as earning badges and points as they achieve goals, making the experience more interactive and motivating.
Buzzmath
Buzzmath provides more than 7,000 activities that align with common mathematical skill standards. With a focus on guiding learners through a storyline and offering immediate detailed feedback, Buzzmath adds a game-like structure to math practice. The goal is to help learners build confidence and proficiency in key math areas, with content continually being updated to challenge and stimulate the user.
Mangahigh
Mangahigh takes a unique approach to learning, blending anime-style narratives with rigorous math challenges that appeal to adult learners. Offering a wide range of games and activities that cover everything from basic algebra to advanced calculus, this platform boasts a competitive edge that can hook users as they can compete against peers in math duels, pushing them to improve their skills.
DragonBox Elements & Algebra
While typically associated with younger audiences, DragonBox offers advanced apps such as DragonBox Algebra 12+ and DragonBox Elements that are suitable for adult learners. These apps introduce mathematical concepts in a game environment, allowing learners to solve puzzles that indirectly teach algebra and geometry principles.
More Tips for Boosting Your Math Skills
Games that boost math skills can be fun and perhaps frustrating as you develop skills. Here are two extra tips for boosting your math knowledge.
Revisit the Basics
If you feel your education didn’t give you a proper foundation in essential math skills, revisit the basics — addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Math skills build off one another, so it is always best to start at the beginning.
Ground yourself in a solid understanding of the basics before moving into more advanced skills like algebra or geometry. Even the higher relevant adult math skills center around understanding addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, negative numbers and basic algebra.
Be Patient
The path to acquiring essential math skills for an adult can be a long and laborious road. Attempting to learn everything all at once can be overwhelming, so approach the task with patience. For working professionals looking to improve their math skills, a little bit of learning each day is better than a five-hour study session once a month.
Math doesn’t have to be mundane or intimidating. Adult learners have a range of innovative tools at their disposal to help them engage with and master essential math skills. Each of the platforms mentioned provides a unique take on gamification, using the inherent drives of competition, achievement and immediate feedback to redefine the math learning experience. Whether these tools are used inside or outside the classroom, they offer dynamic avenues for anyone looking to level up their math abilities.
