Fantasy Sports and Mathematics Game: An Innovative Gaming Approach to Increase Middle School Math Skills

The project team will develop a prototype that will include a web-based game for students to learn math by making and managing a fantasy sports team. Students will use problem-solving and computational skills to maintain the team budget, set a line-up, track statistics, and compete with classmates on a leaderboard. A dashboard will provide results to educators in real-time. At the end of Phase I, the team will carry out a pilot study in classrooms, including 20 educators and 200 high school students. Researchers will examine if the prototype functions as intended, if educators believe the game can be successfully delivered in the context of coursework, if students are engaged, and if learning improves from a pre-test to post-test of math content aligned to gameplay.