Educational Games

[DarbCal]

I discovered Rocks'n'Diamond a week or two ago, since then I have really enjoyed playing it. Looking at available levelsets and playing some, I began to get some ideas on using RnD in my class room. I am a Computer Teacher for Pre-Kindergarten (4 years old) thru 2nd Grade (~7-8 years old). While I introduce and expand on Technology skills for my students, I am required to reinforce their math skills. One of the biggest math skills that we work on is math facts. I would like to see levelsets with simple addition problems. Once the problems are correct, then the exit would open.

Do you know of any levelsets like this? Or other 'educational' use?

I have started to work on a level, but I am quickly hitting the wall of my knowledge. I am going to play around this and see if I can figure it out.

Thank you,
Cal

[Francesco]

Hi DarbCal,
welcome to the forum.

The task you are aiming to is really easy. I don't think that we already have such levelsets, but they can be made in almost no time. If you want, you can learn how to make them quite quickly. The updated documentation about the program and the level editor will be out in a couple of weeks, I think. If you really are in a hurry, just post your questions. You could get a small introduction to CE programming here:
viewtopic.php?p=4935#4935
but most of these things are not needed for your task.
Unfortunately I can't make an example right now, but eventually you can get it from some other user. I could make and upload an example tonight, if nobody else does that before.

[DarbCal]

Thank you Francesco. I took a look at your introduction to CE programming. After perusing it, I was able to build a couple of levels that worked like I thought they should. You can download them from http://www.mrhardage.com/rnd/MathMan.zip.

A few thoughts :

I thought about having the problem explode into gems, but on second thought I wanted the student to be able to see the finished problem.

These two levels are very simple with no randomly placed items. I would like to have the answers randomly placed in later levels as well as randomly built problems.

Also, I used CEs for the equals and answers. To do it this way, I have to have a CE equal for each unique answer. Is there a better way to do this?

Thank you,
Cal

[Francesco]

You're welcome, Cal.
Nice to see that you have found useful my draft, somehow. Now I'm at work and I can't check out your levels. I think that a level that generates random problems can be done, Tomi and Zomis have done a lot of interesting things with CEs, about math and numeric input, maybe they could give some advice here.

I take the occasion to say that your idea is really interesting, RnD can be effectively used as a teaching instrument. Well, I hope to have the time to dig it out tonight.

[DarbCal]

I added a couple more levels to the above zip.

I could not figure out how to get the answers to be randomly placed. I ended up using a group element to place them.

Also, I think it would be good for the answers to be a different color than the problems or solved problems. I did see something about custom artwork on the wiki, which I will have to look at later. It is turkey time, here.

Cal

[Jannik]

Hi DarbCal!

I just gave it a try: 001.level

The problem is created by two group elements (0-4 and 1-5 because a two-digit sum or zero sum are difficult).

If a solution CE (1-9) is dropped, a 'MathBot' will be created that moves along the problem and gets destroyed at the STOP sign.

It adds the problem numbers to its CE value and subtracts the CE value of the dropped solution CE.

If the CE value gets 0, the emerald is produced.

Unfortunately there's still a problem: CE values can't get negative, so 2+3-9 will also result in a CE value of 0 and also an emerald ...

I wished you could use free scripts for CE behaviour in RnD ...

[DarbCal]

Hey Jannik,

Thank you, although you lost me on parts. I'm not sure on how to use CE value or how to have an action happen based on a CE value reaching another value. Any insight into this or a link to a tutorial would be great..

Cal

[Jannik]

Here it's working, even with a zero sum: 002.level
But the solution isn't very elegant.

The MathBot (initial CE value=1) passes the problem and all possible-solution-CEs (0-9).

Touching a number adds the number to the CE value.
Touching a possible-solution-CE reduces the CE value by 1.
If the CE value of the MathBot gets 0, it becomes a simple .

If one of the possible-solution-CEs touches the , it will change into the corresponding right-solution-CE.

If a right-solution-CE touches the , an emerald is produced.


DarbCal, in Config 1 you can set the inital CE value.
In the change pages at the bottom you can "set CE value" =+-*/% "number".
In the change conditions you can use "CE value gets 0".

[Francesco]

Nice to see other people interested in this task

By the way, here is my solution:
http://www.zomis.net/rnd/download.php?id=600

A lot of limitations:
- no subtraction ;
- only two numbers can appear in a sum;
- only numbers from 0 to 5 can appear in a sum;
- there must be a 1-tile space all around the numbers;
- two sums (one over the other) must be at 2 tiles of distance, otherwise the "bots" - as Jannik called them - will consider them as part of a single sum, and the result will be quite wrong.

Some nice things, though:
- completely automated;
- accepts 10 as sum result ;
- custom graphics - well, sort of...

Reference elements came quite handy, here...
By the way, my levelset needs RnD v. 3.2.2 at least.

[Zomis]

I think that a level that generates random problems can be done, Tomi and Zomis have done a lot of interesting things with CEs, about math and numeric input, maybe they could give some advice here.

Thanks Francesco

But currently I don't think I have much to add. I think you and Jannik have contributed to DarbCal's wishes very well. But I will continue to watch this thread closely and I will post an idea or solution if anything would come up
And welcome to the forum by the way, DarbCal

[atp cloud]

Hey,DarbCal

Welcome to the forum.Do you a know about 004 level,I couldn't pass it
because there ain't more 4's.Cool math level set,DarbCal,it was easy,and
cool creations.

BTW:Hey Francesco,did you upload our contest levels?

_________________
Cool

[Francesco]

Alex, you run out of "4" because they are randomly placed - I take the occasion to point it out to Cal: you should make sure that there are enough "solution" pickups, otherwise your students could run out of pickups just like Alex - and just like me .

Another thing, Alex, maybe you have missed my reply because I've edited it, but my answer is there:
viewtopic.php?p=8628#8628
Please post any other comment (about the contest) there in your thread, otherwise you will force the moderators to split this topic.

@Cal: hope you didn't miss my levelset posted above. Feel free to ask again if you need - you asked for a pointer to a tutorial, but there isn't any, as of today, other than my CEs Walkaround. Hopefully, the documentation (along with the updated CEs tutorial) will be out very soon.

[DarbCal]

Hey Francesco & Jannik,

Thank you for you solutions, I have been studying them, so that I may understand them better. Although, I have been busy today and unable to do anything with them today.

Thanks for the welcome, Zomis.

atp cloud, I ran into the same problem with 004. After looking at Francesco's & Jannik's levels, I have a much better solution (using a loop with a group element).

After supper, I plan to play with it more (if my wife lets me!). I will let you know of my progress as well as of any pitfalls.

I appreciate all the help.
Cal

[asiekierka]

DarbCal, if you want some graphics for CEs, ask me!
I'm exporting (freely) CE graphics from icons.

[DarbCal]

Thank you asiekierka, I will keep that in mind. I have a created a few basic ones, just to get started. I hope to have a small levelset out later today. My goal is to have something that I can try with my students tomorrow.

Thank you,
Cal