The inspiration for xRun came from my personal experience learning mathematical functions in high school. Although students are taught both algebraic expressions and their graphical representations, many struggle to build a strong visual intuition of how functions behave in the Cartesian coordinate system. As a result, mathematics often remains abstract and disconnected from understanding.
I noticed that most traditional teaching methods and many digital learning tools treat mathematics as a passive subject, where students solve tasks without directly interacting with the mathematical structures themselves. This limits conceptual understanding and engagement.
To address this, I developed xRun as an interactive learning system where mathematics becomes part of the gameplay itself. In the functions module, for example, students directly interact with graphs by navigating along them in real time. Success depends on anticipating how the function behaves, turning abstract concepts into immediate spatial and visual decisions.
The goal of xRun is to strengthen intrinsic motivation by making mathematical understanding necessary for progress in the game. Instead of learning math for external rewards, students engage with mathematics as an active system they must understand in order to succeed. This transforms learning from passive repetition into an experiential process.
In practice, xRun is used as a short activity within a mathematics lesson, either as a warm-up or as a formative closing task. It complements the existing curriculum rather than replacing it.
Students log in using anonymous nicknames and enter an interactive 2D environment where mathematical functions and structures form the game world. To progress, they must recognize and interpret graphical behavior in real time, such as changes in function shapes, shifts, or periodic patterns. Each level takes around two minutes, which allows for quick repetition and focused practice without long setup times. When students make a mistake, they immediately receive feedback in the form of a short explanation of the underlying concept. This creates a fast learning loop where students can directly connect errors with mathematical theory and try again instantly.
From the teacher’s perspective, xRun provides automated formative feedback. After a session, the system generates a data overview (Excel-compatible), showing which topics caused the most difficulties across the class. This allows teachers to identify learning gaps early and adjust their teaching in the next lesson.
The software has been tested in a classroom pilot phase at Kantonsschule Uster, Switzerland, involving two classes with different mathematical backgrounds (one general academic class and one class with a stronger focus on mathematics). This allowed evaluation of the tool across different ability levels.
The project is currently in an ongoing testing phase in school settings, including Kantonsschule Uster and Kantonsschule Kreuzlingen, where it is being used in mathematics lessons to gather feedback and evaluate its classroom integration.
If you want to try xRun, you can access it in two ways:
The browser-based demo version is available here: https://babak006.itch.io/xrunonline
For the full experience, including additional features such as the progression and login system, the downloadable version is available here: https://babak006.itch.io/xrun
