2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

BOARD # 213: Perspectives of Junior Scholars: Calculus Learning Outcomes from Middle School Students After Use of an Educational Video Game (Work in Progress)

Presented at WIP Poster Session: Emerging Research and Practices in Pre-College Engineering Education

Teaching calculus to middle school students through a 3D educational video game presents both exciting opportunities and significant challenges. This work-in-progress study examines how middle school students engaged with Variant: Limits (VL), a game designed to introduce advanced mathematical concepts, during a university-sponsored STEM summer camp. Thirty participants played the game daily for a week, supported by researchers, and completed surveys reflecting on their experiences. Additionally, we conducted structured interviews with six of the students. Through the surveys and interviews, we examined students’ experiences and reactions to playing the game. Thematic and sentiment analyses of 181 qualitative data segments revealed key challenges in six key focus areas: Instruction, Quest Design, Controls, Overall VL Opinion, Educational Video Game (EVG) Opinion, and Narrative Design. While students expressed overall enthusiasm for educational video games, frustration with unclear instructions and game navigation tempered their learning experiences. Our findings highlight the need for clearer tutorials and more user-friendly controls to optimize the educational impact of game-based learning tools in K-12 settings. More broadly, this study offers early insights into how complex STEM content could be made more accessible and engaging for younger learners through interactive technologies.

Authors

Alex Gonce Texas A&M University [biography]

Alex Gonce is an undergraduate researcher at the LIVE Lab at Texas A&M University, where they study Computer Engineering with a minor in Neuroscience. They have worked at the lab for over a year, leading a research team and collaborating on multiple projects focused on gamification in education. In addition to their research, they serve as a Peer Teacher for the College of Engineering, where they support instruction in first-year courses, including the introductory Python programming course.
Abigail Tran Texas A&M University [biography]

Abigail Tran is a Psychology undergraduate student with the LIVE Lab at Texas A&M University. She volunteers with the research team, having aided in conducting a study with middle school students about an educational video game and writing the qualitative research paper for it.
Advay Bhattacharya Texas A&M University [biography]

Advay Bhattacharya is a second-year Statistics major at Texas A&M University and an undergraduate researcher at the LIVE Lab, where he contributes to interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of computer science, education, and data analysis. Over the past two years, he has supported the lab’s structural equation modeling (SEM) efforts to evaluate learning outcomes and has worked with teams exploring how game-based learning environments affect student motivation, engagement, and conceptual understanding. His contributions span educational research, technical infrastructure, and community outreach, including helping manage and expand the lab’s database of educational video games and supporting updates to the corresponding website. He has also been involved in the design and facilitation of summer camp experiences, including analyzing data from students interacting with the Variant: Limits game. Advay is particularly interested in the role of technology in shaping modern education and seeks out opportunities to blend programming, data science, and human-centered research to support evidence-based learning tools and strategies.
Meet Mahesh Gamdha Texas A&M University [biography]

Meet Gamdha is a Computer Science student at Texas A&M University, minoring in Engineering Entrepreneurship through the Meloy Program. He is a researcher and project manager at the LIVE Lab and an AI Consultant for NeuroX1 through the Aggies Create program, where he leads and supports cross-functional teams focused on educational technology innovation and AI-powered research solutions. Meet’s work spans building scalable AI search infrastructures, backend development, and DevOps solutions, with a strong focus on practical, high-impact applications in education and healthcare. His technical expertise includes machine learning, web development, and cloud technologies, with hands-on experience deploying tools using PyTorch, Hugging Face, PostgreSQL, and AWS. Meet has also contributed to award-winning projects such as Connections AI, a machine learning solution for puzzle solving, and has led data optimization efforts for large-scale industrial challenges
Dr. Michael S Rugh http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0222-5719 Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Michael S. Rugh is an Associate Research Scientist at the LIVE Lab at Texas A and M University and Director of STEM Education Research for the Aggie Research Program. He leads interdisciplinary research teams investigating game-based learning and the impact of educational technologies, including video games, simulations, apps, and virtual environments created by the LIVE Lab. With a master’s degree in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, his research examines how people learn, with a particular emphasis on interactive and immersive experiences. Dr. Rugh brings several years of K–16 teaching experience in mathematics and science and has served as a reviewer, committee member, editorial board member, and associate editor for organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, and the School Science and Mathematics Association. His recognitions include the Graduate Merit Fellowship from the Association of Former Students and being named the College of Education and Human Development Distinguished Honor Graduate.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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