Personalizing Mathematical Game-based Learning for Children: A Preliminary Study

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Gao, Jie, Dubé, Adam K.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Gao, Jie
Dubé, Adam K.
author_facet Gao, Jie
Dubé, Adam K.
contents Game-based learning (GBL) is widely adopted in mathematics education. It enhances learners' engagement and critical thinking throughout the mathematics learning process. However, enabling players to learn intrinsically through mathematical games still presents challenges. In particular, effective GBL systems require dozens of high-quality game levels and mechanisms to deliver them to appropriate players in a way that matches their learning abilities. To address this challenge, we propose a framework, guided by adaptive learning theory, that uses artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to build a classifier for player-generated levels. We collect 206 distinct game levels created by both experts and advanced players in Creative Mode, a new tool in a math game-based learning app, and develop a classifier to extract game features and predict valid game levels. The preliminary results show that the Random Forest model is the optimal classifier among the four machine learning classification models (k-nearest neighbors, decision trees, support vector machines, and random forests). This study provides insights into the development of GBL systems, highlighting the potential of integrating AI into the game-level design process to provide more personalized game levels for players.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_25925
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Personalizing Mathematical Game-based Learning for Children: A Preliminary Study
Gao, Jie
Dubé, Adam K.
Machine Learning
Computers and Society
Game-based learning (GBL) is widely adopted in mathematics education. It enhances learners' engagement and critical thinking throughout the mathematics learning process. However, enabling players to learn intrinsically through mathematical games still presents challenges. In particular, effective GBL systems require dozens of high-quality game levels and mechanisms to deliver them to appropriate players in a way that matches their learning abilities. To address this challenge, we propose a framework, guided by adaptive learning theory, that uses artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to build a classifier for player-generated levels. We collect 206 distinct game levels created by both experts and advanced players in Creative Mode, a new tool in a math game-based learning app, and develop a classifier to extract game features and predict valid game levels. The preliminary results show that the Random Forest model is the optimal classifier among the four machine learning classification models (k-nearest neighbors, decision trees, support vector machines, and random forests). This study provides insights into the development of GBL systems, highlighting the potential of integrating AI into the game-level design process to provide more personalized game levels for players.
title Personalizing Mathematical Game-based Learning for Children: A Preliminary Study
topic Machine Learning
Computers and Society
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.25925