ALGORITHM DEVELOPMENT IN TONG-‐ITS CARD GAME: An Educational Approach to Learn Math In the Modern World topics for Critical Thinking Exercises in Engineering Freshmen in the Philippines Academic Year 2018-‐2019 By Orlando Ritchie R. Natonton, IE, CIPP, MOE, LPT (Math) Email:
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INTRODUCTION Mathematics has long been seen as a dreadful subject since the need to attend to math classes in High School. Students painstakingly memorize the multiplication table without understanding the impact of such activity to the future of the society. Teachers on the other hand are strategically thinking of ways where their student would be able to learn a math lesson for the day. When students go home, they leave their books, notebooks and do the house chores which they find no significance to what they have memorized in school. The list goes on in the daily life of a typical Filipino High school student who dreams to be an Engineer someday. Unfortunately, that student was not able to pass the required entrance exam score for Engineering which required a mathematics score of 80% since the student had only 75%. Thus, dreams shatter or the student may find ways to search for schools who accept such reality of what that student can presently do. This is a typical scenario for Filipino High school Students who are eager to become an Engineer someday but has currently low academic scores in Mathematics. Recently the Commission in Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered schools who are offering Engineering to include the General Education Course (GEC) Mathematics in the Modern World (MMW) a 3 unit lecture credit course during the 1st year of the accepted engineering student. In a sample curriculum Mathematics varies in subjects offered where the student coming from the Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Academic Track would need to take Mathematics in the Modern World, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, Differential Equations, and Advanced Engineering Mathematics. While the Non-‐ STEM tracks would need to get the bridging courses such as Pre-‐Calculus & Basic Calculus, Chemistry 1 & 2, and Physics 1&2. Syllabus of the mentioned courses have been developed already with most components focused on Outcomes Based Education. However, still the way most would be probably delivered in using the lecture approach as well as group problem solving and rigorous math drills. This paper explores the possibility of utilizing common game specifically “Tong-‐its” used daily in the lives of the student who is exposed to family gatherings and reunions. Most typical Filipino gatherings would use the card game as a passing of time as well as entertainment. The paper will venture on developing an Algorithm to observe patterns and probably determine the best decision or move for the player who will use the developed algorithm and win the game. As the game progresses, application to various topics to learn at the subject Math in the Modern World will be explored as well. Topics such as Fibonacci series or patterns , numbers and symbols, probability, and linear programming.
