Serious Games in Teaching/learning Mathematics: the Experience of FunGo

In this paper we present a general overview of serious games and their educational potential. We focus in particular on serious games for the teaching/learning of mathematics, highlighting how the method of horizontal teaching is effective in enabling students to achieve the learning objectives set by the teacher. FunGo, a serious game designed by the authors (researchers in mathematics education) in synergy with a group of graphic designers and computer scientists, is part of this line of ideas. We will show how FunGo has a multiple usability: it has, in fact, a double didactic use and has been used in public events of dissemination of mathematics, reporting in both cases positive results.