The Future of Education

Recent Italian guidelines on STEM education emphasize an interdisciplinary approach grounded in learning-by-doing and the use of digital and playful resources [1]. Within this framework, computer science is recognized as a conceptual core of mathematics education from early schooling, highlighting the need to integrate computational and mathematical thinking already in teacher education. Computational thinking, understood as a set of logical, strategic, and reflective processes for problem solving, shares key dimensions with mathematical thinking [2]. In this perspective, Playful Learning can act as a pedagogical bridge between coding and mathematics, supporting disciplinary integration through engaging learning experiences [3]. This qualitative exploratory case study, conducted in a university course for pre-service primary school teachers, examined collaboratively designed digital games created with the Octostudio app, focusing on spatial orientation [4]. The instructional design included an introduction to Octostudio, basic prototyping, and collaborative game design using a template aligning learning objectives, coding mechanics, and playful dimensions through the Playful Experiences (PLEX) framework [5]. A thematic qualitative analysis of design artefacts, templates, and researcher observations was conducted to identify patterns in the integration of mathematical and computational thinking and of the designs’ playful dimensions [6]. Findings suggest that Playful Learning-based design activities can mediate between content knowledge, active methodologies, and teacher professional development.