Understanding Multidimensional Concepts through Game-Based Learning in the K-12 Curriculum

Spaces of dimension higher than three occur regularly in computing and data science (CADS), in linear algebra and statistics, and in modern physics. But the concept of higher dimensions can be confusing, especially for middle school students. They spend many hours in their mathematics, science, and art classes discussing the concepts of Two Dimensional (2D) and Three Dimensional (3D) spaces, but when they are introduced to multidimensional applications in CADS, the concept of higher dimensionality is not understood with ease. Introducing the concept in a hands-on, game-based way can help students begin to understand its application, and support acquisition of further concepts, such as dimensional redundancy. We here propose that as students are provided with more relatable experiences in their academic careers, they will be able to break through the unintentionally constructed constraints of their early learning. We have chosen to leverage the subject of space weather because of the number of dimensions in the available large data sets, and because its topical and futuristic nature allows for extended thinking. Students can then bring greater confidence and efficiency to CADS and other subjects when working with larger data sets and establishing machine learning protocols in their work.