In addition to presenting a poster at Inted, Tulio Koneçny was invited to showcase his games at an exclusive event booth

Tulio já desenvolveu 23 jogos educativos de matemática e é autor de livro sobre o tema | Foto: FGV EMAp 

The passion for educational games and mathematics will take Tulio Koneçny, a master's student at the School of Applied Mathematics of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV EMAp), to Spain. The Brazilian researcher had a poster accepted at the 19th International Technology, Education and Development Conference (Inted), which will take place from March 3 to 5 in Valencia. Recognized as one of the leading European conferences focused on education and technology, Inted brings together researchers from around the world to present and discuss advancements in the field.

Although he has participated in many academic events in Brazil, this will be the first time the master's student in Applied Mathematics and Data Science attends an international conference. “This will be an enriching experience to understand different realities and think about how to adapt these ideas to our context, especially in public education, where I work,” he says.

Túlio's interest in educational games dates back to his undergraduate studies, also completed at FGV EMAp. During that time, he developed 17 games, a number that has now grown to 23. However, his goal is to continue expanding this collection and reach a total of 50 games.

“The excellent education provided by the School has given me all the necessary foundation to achieve my goals. This opportunity to be abroad, presenting our work and closely experiencing innovations in the field, was only possible thanks to the support offered, both during my undergraduate and master's studies,” he highlights.

Tulio represented FGV EMAp at the National Mathematics Festival (FestMat) in September 2024 | Photo: FGV EMAp

In addition to presenting his theoretical contributions on the use of games as a teaching tool, Tulio was also invited to showcase them at an exclusive booth, where visitors will have the opportunity to experience how they work in practice.

“The conference is not limited to research presentations. It also covers the creation of teaching materials, teacher organization, the development of books and games, and the use of emerging technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D printing applied to education,” he explains.

Inted is one of the few conferences that features a dedicated session for discussions on games, highlighting its innovative approach | Photo: Reproduction/Inted Website

Next steps

In addition to creating games, Tulio is also dedicated to understanding their impact on learning. For this reason, his master’s research focuses on measuring how the use of this technology influences student learning. In an initial study, he monitored students in the final years of elementary and high school for about a month. With the consolidated results, he now plans to expand the study to cover the entire academic year.

Tulio has also been investing in the production of educational books on games and mathematics. His debut book, titled Educational Games in Mathematics: A Different Approach for Elementary and High School Teaching, is the result of his undergraduate thesis in Applied Mathematics. It can be downloaded for free from his website, Matemática para Todos, where his educational games, designed for elementary and high school students, are also available.

The master's student makes the materials available on his website: matematicaeparatodos.com | Photo: Reproduction

The master's student's second and third books are already in progress. They are compilations of games—both original and adaptations of classics—accompanied by teacher guides, free supplementary materials, and exercise lists to reinforce learning.

"Another new development is that we are creating games that are not just educational; they can also be played at home independently. A student might enjoy the game and want to take it home to play with their family, just like a traditional board game," he concludes.

Tulio is in the second year of his master's program | Photo: FGV EMAp

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