Microsoft Word types of mobile educational games for children in primary school

2. METHODOLOGY 
The authors’ main goal is to create a suite of mobile mathematics educational games for children in 
the early stages of education, with the help of which students can develop mathematical skills 
independently while having fun at home with their mobile device. In the end the authors intend to 
conduct their experiment with 3rd grade students. 
The applied methodology is as follow: state of the art, creating a classification of game types 
assignments, design of the game mobile software applications, development of the software 
applications, selection and filling in the applications with concrete mathematical assignments, testing 
the mobile applications with real learners (10 years old). The paper presents the first two steps of the 
chosen methodology. 
3. RESULTS 
3.1 Games in education 
A game is a physical or intellectual form of social or individual activity organized following specific 
rules. Through the use of games students can acquire knowledge and skills in any subject matter. The 
game is the focus of attention, analysis and development of many prominent scientists in the field of 
pedagogy and psychology, such as H. Spencer, K. Gross, St. Hall, Z. Freud, K. Buehler, et al. 
More recently, "serious games" (games used for training) have been increasingly used as a teaching 
approach in various educational levels, institutions and organizations (not just in the field of 
education). They are used in various forms: game-based learning (Gamed-based learning) by using 
video and electronic games to achieve learning goals; Gamification of learning by integrating game 
elements and techniques into the learning process; Organizational-dynamic games for training 
dynamics in organizations at three levels (individual behavior, group behavior and cultural dynamics); 
Simulation games for learning different skills by playing in artificially created environments that 
recreate both real-world and unreal storylines; Edutainment for simultaneous learning and fun, etc. [2].
On the one hand, the use of games or even just some of the game elements and techniques (as in 
gamification) [3] aims to make complex theoretical learning more accessible. On the other hand, 

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practical activities in games and their repetition lead to a deeper understanding of the learning content 
[4]. 
Serious games can be fun, even though they are primarily aimed at training or refining a practice. This 
is probably the reason they are so readily accepted by learners at every educational level. 
3.1.1 Games in the learning process of children in the initial stages of learning 
According to the "principle of activity approach" of Russian psychologists S. Rubinstein and A. 
Leontiev, for each age period there is a certain type of activity that is crucial for development [5]. 
Educators recognize the game in a purely didactic sense - to consolidate knowledge or to develop 
skills that correspond to educational content in different educational fields. According to [5], because 
learning is happening at an earlier age, games can have a fundamental contribution to the education 
of children between the ages of 3 and 10, if not with a leading role, at least with a dominant one. 
Educational games enable students to study and have fun at the same time [6]. The game prоvides 
pleasure and joy to every child. But it is also a key vehicle for his intellectual, moral and aesthetic 
upbringing. Each game contributes differently to the development of some of the learner's cognitive 
processes (perceptions, ideas, memory, imagination, thinking). 
While in preschool age, games are a formative force, in the primary school stage, games become an 
accompanying activity, since they help, strengthen the learning process. According to [7], in the life of 
the child in the elementary school period, games are seen as an incomparable mediator in integrating 
the child into learning, enriching his/her willingness to engage in different cognitive activities, 
stimulating cognitive interests, as well as building cognitive learning strategies. As students play, they 
spontaneously adopt various algorithms to perform more general cognitive and specific practical 
actions. 
Gamified methods according to [8], applied in the joint action with the teacher and student, contribute: 
to activate the students; to improve the quality of knowledge, skills and attitudes; to stimulate the 
development of critical and self-critical thinking, their creative abilities; to form positive motivation and 
cognitive interests, a positive attitude towards learning and mental work; to stimulate competition 
between students and / or groups of students, to develop teamwork skills; for the development of 
students self-regulation, self-control and self-assessment; to acquire collectivist skills; to build 
responsibility, respect and evaluate the success of partners. 
The gamified approach has already been applied in the traditional textbooks in Bulgarian schools (e.g. 
mathematics textbook for 3rd grade by V. Angelova [9]. 
3.1.2 Classification of educational games 
According to the purpose of the elementary school games, [10] it presents the following classification: 
•
didactic game - solving learning tasks and learning certain educational content; 
•
mobile game - tasks for motor culture; 
•
music game - solving tasks related to music education; 
•
play-dramatization - games based on fairy tales and puppet theatrе; 
•
story-role-playing - a game based on a familiar real-life story ("Family", "Shop", etc.); 
•
computer, electronic and mobile games. 
According to [8] games can be sensory, symbolic, applied, musical, mathematical, design, creative 
and more. 
[11] divides games into two large groups, which contain the relevant subgroups of games: 
•
creative games (story-role, dramatization, constructive and directorial); 
•
games with rules (didactic, mobile, didactic and music). 
In our opinion, computer, electronic and mobile games do not provide a new type of game, but just 
another environment for its implementation. These games fall into one of the above types, depending 
on their purpose. The math assignments that will be completed by the team fall mainly into the didactic 
games group. 
Didactic games are mainly used as a training approach. They can be used to consolidate, systematize 
and summarize teaching material, to form skills, to aesthetically, emotionally and educationally 
influence [11]. They use didactic material designed to set specific educational and educational goals. 

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Didactic games do not merge with learning, but retain their character of games, which is why they are 
an attractive activity for children, corresponding to their age peculiarities and interests, which entice 
them and awaken their active participation.