We welcome you to the October discussion held online on 23rd October, 4.30pm-6pm.
Discussion 1: Not All Games Are Created Equal: Towards Mathematically Integrated Game – James Russo, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education, Monash University
Mathematical games are widely used in classrooms and research, though the term game is often used to describe quite different kinds of activities. In this presentation, James Russo draws on his recent conceptual paper (Russo & Russo, 2025) to consider both what qualifies an activity as a mathematical game and what distinguishes more superficial forms of play from those that are deeply connected to mathematical learning. Following a brief interactive game, James will introduce key definitions of mathematical games from the literature and present findings from a systematic review indicating that only about one-third of studies examined included activities consistent with these definitions. He will then outline a typology that differentiates between gamification, pseudo-games, mathematically light games, and mathematically integrated games. The session concludes by exploring three design principles of mathematically integrated games—strategic agency, embedded representations, and opportunities for recording and reflection—and invites a shared discussion around how these principles can inform classroom design and future research.
James Russo is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education at Monash University. His research focuses on how task and game design can support meaningful, differentiated, and enjoyable mathematics learning. James has been involved in several national and international projects examining teachers’ use of mathematical games, and has co-authored conceptual and empirical papers exploring how games can foster strategic thinking, representation, and reflection. He is Co-Editor of Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom and a Special Issue Editor for Mathematics Teacher Education and Development on teaching with mathematical games. James also works closely with schools to design, trial, and refine a range of mathematical games, using teacher insights to better understand how different types of games can serve different pedagogical purposes.
Discussion 2: Identifying Attributes and Enablers of Impactful Inquiry in Primary Science – Melinda Kirk, Lecturer in Education (Primary Science and Curriculum and Pedagogy), Deakin University
In the face of growing socio-ecological challenges, and competing pressures to engage in explicit teaching, often at the expense of more student centred pedagogies. This research seeks to foster students’ meaningful inquiry that encompasses all three strands of the science curriculum (understanding, skills and science as a human endeavour) with a focus on citizenship and generative critical and creative thinking. A micro-ethnographic study of a Year 6 community of learners’ inquiry within a larger Design-Based Research Project is presented to highlight primary students’ impactful inquiry. Drawing on inquiry literature, curriculum and student inquiry experiences, key student inquiry principals that can be intentionally supported to foster student realisation of science-informed transformative change are identified. These identified principals guide students through issue identification, solution generation, innovation implementation, and stakeholder involvement. In this way, impactful inquiry – of impactful inquiry –science informed, transformative change in the students immediate context or life seeks to prepare students with the capacity and efficacy to pursue positive science-informed change in matters that matter to them now and into the future.
Melinda Kirk is a Lecturer in Education (Primary Science and Curriculum and Pedagogy) at Deakin University. Her experience in education; teaching and research extends over twenty five years. Melinda’s recent PhD by publication “Impactful Inquiry in Primary Science” was awarded the Victoria College Foundation Prize. For her Master of Education (Educational Leadership) she was awarded the outstanding Postgraduate Achievement Award (Education) and Education Alumni Award recognising her contribution to school and university partnership research. Melinda is passionate about student voice in education and is an AARE SIG Convenor for Children and Student Voice Across all Sectors.
Posted Aug 10, 2026
Online