Why Games Work for Math

Research consistently shows that game-based learning improves retention for procedural mathematical skills. When students are emotionally engaged — competing, strategising, winning — the brain stores information differently than during passive instruction. The anxiety that often surrounds formal math assessment disappears when the same skills are embedded in play.

BEDMAS the game was never designed as an educational tool — it was designed to be genuinely fun. But the core mechanic, placing valid equations on a grid under time pressure, happens to require exactly the skills that students struggle to internalise from textbook instruction alone.

How Three Teachers Use BEDMAS

Sarah, Grade 6 Math Teacher: "I use BEDMAS as a 15-minute warm-up on Fridays. Students play individually against the Easy AI. Within three weeks, I saw a measurable improvement in their ability to correctly evaluate expressions without a calculator. The kids who struggled most with BEDMAS the rule were the most motivated to improve their BEDMAS the game score — and the two turned out to be the same thing."

Marcus, High School Pre-Calculus: "My students think they've mastered BEDMAS by Year 9. Playing on Hard mode humbles them quickly — the AI exploits every mistake. It's become a useful diagnostic tool for identifying students who have procedural gaps they've been hiding through calculator use. If a student can't beat Easy mode, they have a conceptual issue we need to address."

Priya, Learning Support Specialist: "For students with maths anxiety, BEDMAS is non-threatening. The Hint button removes the fear of being 'wrong', and the visual nature of the board makes abstract operations concrete. I've used it with students who refused to engage with any written math activity, and they play happily for 20 minutes."

Recommended Grade Levels and Settings

• Grades 5–7: Easy mode, unlimited timer, focus on simple addition and subtraction equations. Introduce multiplication once students are comfortable.
• Grades 8–10: Medium mode, 90-second timer, encourage multiplication and division equations. Discuss operator precedence explicitly as a class before playing.
• Grades 11+: Hard mode, 60-second timer, brackets and complex chains. Can be used as a competitive classroom activity with a shared leaderboard.

Classroom Setup Tips

BEDMAS runs in any browser — no installation, no accounts needed for student play. Simply share the URL and students can play immediately. For tracked progress and leaderboard competition between students, encourage them to create free accounts. The leaderboard can serve as a motivational tool — displaying the class leaderboard on a projector during play sessions creates healthy competition.

Getting Started

For a first classroom session, we recommend a 5-minute demonstration on the projector before students play independently. Walk through one complete turn: drawing tiles, identifying a valid equation, placing it on the board, and watching the score calculate. Students who understand the scoring system from the start engage more strategically and learn more from each session.