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Foundation
Foundation

Calculation Nation

Calculation Nation uses the power of the Web to let students challenge opponents from anywhere in the world. At the same time, students are able to challenge themselves by investigating significant mathematical content and practicing fundamental skills. The element of competition adds an extra layer of excitement.

The National Council of Teacher’s of Mathematics (NCTM) hired IK to design a system for middle school students to play math-related online games against live opponents. The site features five online games and a customized game room where thousands of students can challenge one another to test their math skills. Before going live, Calculation Nation was tested by hundreds of math teacher’s during NCTM’s annual conference held in April 2009.

Calculation Nation is part of the NCTM Illuminations project, which offers Standards-based resources that improve the teaching and learning of mathematics for all students. Its materials illuminate the vision for school mathematics set forth in NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and Curriculum Focal Points.

The games on Calculation Nation provide an entertaining environment where students can explore rich mathematics. Through these games, students are exposed to the same mathematical topics that they see in class…
— Jim Rubillo, Executive Director, NCTM

Features

  • Simple interface allows students to challenge and play games against other players who are hanging out in the custom game room
  • Advanced socket server technology allows any two players to play against one another in a Flash-based math game
  • Original design of all games, graphics, sound effects and interactions
  • Registered students have access to a "Passport" that records all games they have played and includes the geographic location and username of their opponents
  • All games include directions for playing, educational objectives and a single-player version of the game that players use to practice their skills

Technologies Used

A multimedia platform that is popular for adding animation and interactivity to web pages.

Flash,

Creating connectivity and interaction between web users.

Social Networking,

ASP.NET is a Web platform that provides services to build enterprise-class server-based Web applications. ASP.NET is built on the Microsoft's .NET Framework. Applications can be written in any language that is compatible with the common language runtime (CLR), including Visual Basic and C#.

ASP.NET,