British Army

Operation Numerika - Numeracy Skills via Nintendo DS

Brighton (UK), January 2009 - Epic has been commissioned to design a basic skills numeracy programme entitled 'Operation Numerika' to support the training of entry recruits in the British Army. 'Operation Numerika' is delivered on Nintendo DS and is closely evaluated to monitor the process of its users.




The innovative delivery approach permits use at any time or place, as it exploits the capacity of the two screens - while screen size is typically a limitation of handheld devices. In addition, the use of a games console ensures the learning is not placed within a traditional, formal setting and that it engages the target audience.

Around forty percent of Standard Entry recruits in the British Army do not have the required numeracy skills. The majority of these recruits are between the ages of seventeen and thirty. Current training interventions, including paper-based workbooks, are not sufficient to engage this young, technically competent target audience.

To ensure the Army can attribute improvements in numeracy levels to the Nintendo programme, Epic has created a series of evaluation criteria. These include summative evaluation, which is measured by the difference in scores before and after the training and impact evaluation, which includes feedback from learners and tutors to identify specific factors responsible for improvements in numeracy levels.