TavaresCapstone

Learning Issue

In an inclusion classroom, student abilities vary greatly. Differentiation of lessons is necessary to meet the specialized needs of struggling students. Many students require additional time on task to absorb information, extended work time on tests and quizzes, verbatim reading of instructions, repetitive exposure to information, and immediate feedback on their attempts at mastery. The students who lack basic mathematical concepts do not have a solid background of understanding which would help them learn progressively more difficult material. Lacking basic math fact fluency contributes to overall poor performance on in-class assignments and on standardized county and state assessments.  Specific learning issues in my fourth grade math class include students who:

             1.    are lacking in basic mathematics skills including math fact recall with automaticity and math fact fluency and;

             2.    who are having difficulty with memorizing multiplication facts which contributes to misunderstandings of division concepts, decimals, and fractions.

Description of the School Population

The school is a small public elementary institution with 449 students ranging from grades Pre-Kindergarten through grade five with 153 students eligible for free and reduced meals. There are 29 classroom teachers and three fourth-grade teachers sharing 67 students.

The members of the school population who are affected by the problem are located in one fourth grade inclusion classroom.  The classroom which will be utilizing the implementation of a computer-based intervention experiment is described as follows:

            ·         total number of classroom math students:  22;

      ·         number of students with Individualized Educational Programs:  eight;

            ·         testing accommodations for these students range from reduced distractions, additional time and a half on all tests and       quizzes, calculation devices, preferential classroom seating, supplementary aids and services;

            ·         a classroom special education assistant will be present on a part time basis;

            ·         small group pull-out interventions for math and reading;

            ·         small group classroom support;

            ·         modified testing requirements;

            ·         verbatim reading of instructions on class work and testing on as as-needed basis

Individuals Involved in the Project

The individuals who will be involved in the math intervention project will be:

           ·         six fourth grade students as the experimental group (only six computers available for in-class use);

           ·         one  classroom teacher as intervention administrator will oversee the project;

           ·         one  special educator as support staff;

           ·         one  computer laboratory teacher as a part time intervention administrator will help oversee the project;

           ·         one  media center specialist as a part time intervention administrator will help oversee the project.

Approval

Technology-Based Solution

Overview

            This study examines the influence of technology use with fourth grade students who have been defined as have learning disabilities and who are presently working below grade level in mathematics. In a class of 22 students, a multiplication pre-assessment will be administered to determine those six students who are most struggling with basic multiplication fact recall. This small group of students will be chosen as the experimental group. Those students in the experimental group will receive 75 minutes of computer based interventions per week inside the classroom, in their Computer Laboratory class, and during their Library time. The students will be using online computer software programs which deliver basic multiplication practice with single digit facts which should help them build automaticity and math fact fluency. They will access the sites through a main hub-type website created specifically for this project. The students will practice online at regularly scheduled times in the classroom and during computer lab time. The experimental group will receive regular classroom instruction not necessarily related to the memorizing of multiplication facts. All students will regularly take timed quizzes each Friday on multiplication facts to gauge their on-going progress and technology based homework practice as related to in-class instruction along with regular homework assignments each evening, Monday through Thursday.

Method

            Once the intervention group is identified, this group will spend time using computer based technology to increase practice time with basic multiplication facts and in an effort to promote math fluency, speed of fact recall, and automaticity.

Procedure

            Step 1:  Administer a multiplication pre-assessment to the entire class. The pre-test will be an online two-minute timed test using the website multiplication.com.  This is a free online, self-correcting pre-test site that tracks the time and may be printed with or without answers so students may instantly see results once finished. Teachers can also print out a hard copy. Each time the test is started a different version of the test is displayed so students seated at the next computer terminal will not be inclined to look at another students work. This provides for greater reliability of test results. The results of this test will determine the six students chosen to participate in the intervention experiment.

            Step 2: Explain the dynamics of the project to all teachers and students involved.

            Step 3: Begin the experiment. Six computers with online access are located in the classroom and will be used for this experiment. The experimental group will spend four 15 minute sessions practicing online per week in class. The experimental group will also be spending one 15 minute session of practice time once per week during their computer lab day and once per week during their library time. Each computer based intervention session will run for 15 minutes totaling 75 minutes per week. The intervention times will run from Tuesday through Friday for four consecutive weeks and will be scheduled according to the following plan: 

Tuesday:  3:15 – 3:30

Wednesday:  10:20 -10:35 and 3:15 – 3:30

Thursday:  3:15 – 3:30

Friday:  3:15 – 3:30

Resources

            The following websites will be utilized by the experimental group for this project. The websites are listed in order of preference and each administrator will monitor the sessions to ensure the sequence is followed:

1  Math Fact Genius

Math Fact Genius helps students practice math facts. Shown multiplication facts one at a time and if the wrong answer is chosen, a friendly avatar character will explain the correct answer and provide students with ten practice problems to help them remember the correct answer.

2  IXL Multiplication Skill Builder

Multiplication Skills Builders allows students to practice one multiplication fact at a time.  That is, they choose the fact they need to practice with the most (for instance they are weak with their facts of 3), then they choose the “multiply by 3” link and begin. They are then presented with one multiplication fact a time and given immediate feedback and instruction for those problems answered incorrectly.

3  IXL Multiplication Practice

IXL Multiplication practice shows one multiplication question at a time and when students submit the answer, they are given immediate feedback. If they answer incorrectly, the site provides an immediate explanation of why the answer they chose was wrong and what the multiplication rule is as a reminder.

4  Math Zone

Math Zone allows students to practice times tables by choosing one fact to focus on at a time. Instant feedback is given for correct and incorrect answers.

5  Multiplication Matho

Multiplication Matho asks students to click on the answers to multiplication problems in order to create a puzzle picture beneath the correct answers.

6  Math Magician

Math Magician is a website that allows students to choose one fact at a time to practice and learn products or they can practice with mixed facts. The goal is to answer 20 questions correctly in 1 minute.

7  Multiplication.com

Multiplication.com has 65 animated and interactive games where students can practice learning their multiplication facts and be given instant feedback for answers.

8  Learnzillion.com

Students will access Learnzillion.com as part of regular homework assignments to support classroom lessons and to help practice multiplication facts.

Image courtesy www.pppst.com

Research Based Evidence 

            One major challenge facing many of the students in my inclusion classroom is their struggle to learn basic mathematics and my ability to provide sound intervention systems to support the diverse academic needs of these learners in an inclusive classroom setting. Students need to have math fact fluency, or the ability to recall basic multiplication facts automatically and with speed. Without fluency, students constantly struggle computing answers to basic facts leaving less time to think about and focus on higher mathematical concepts. When a student can effortlessly recall answers to basic facts, they have more energy and focus for understanding higher order thinking skills. If they cannot retrieve basic facts then their ability to construct further understanding of higher level math skills such as division, multiple digit multiplication, and fractions will be impaired.

            Authors Eric Stickney, Lindsay Sharp, and Amanda Kenyon (2012) explain the importance of student’s ability to automatically recall basic facts in their article, Technology-Enhanced Assessment of Math Fact Automaticity: Patterns of Performance for Low-and Typically Achieving Students. In their study, they state, “As with reading fluency, the benefits of math fact fluency are substantial” and that through their research they have found “math fact automaticity to be a predictor of performance on general mathematics achievement tests, event those that permit the use of calculators” (Kenyon et al., 2012, p.84). Because of the important nature of learning basic facts with automaticity, the focus of their research for this article was to discover how to support students and their ability to learn and retain basic math facts. They explain, “Because math automaticity has been identified as a key barrier for students struggling with mathematics, we examined how initial math achievement levels influenced the path to automaticity (e.g., variation in number of attempts, speed of retrieval, and skill maintenance over time) and the relation between attainment of automaticity and gains in general math achievement” (Kenyon et al., 2012, p. 85).  When they employed a computerized method of practice with low-achieving students they found substantial gains were made in student’s math ability. They used an assessment tool which also allowed students to practice basic math problems described as “a computerized assessment referred to as Math Facts in a Flash (MFF) (Renaissance Learning, 2003) offers an operational definition for math fact practice and automaticity” and found that “time spent practicing with MFF was positively related to gains in general math ability, and was especially important for severely deficient students” (Kenyon et al., 2012 p. 85). The information in this article helped me decide on the importance of learning basic multiplication facts and how it relates to other math skills. When computer programs were used to practice fact memorization, the students described in this article made improvements. This led me to understand the power of having students practice basic math facts online.

            In the article entitled Does the Use of Technological Interventions Improve Student Academic Achievement in Mathematics and Language Arts for an Indentified group of At-risk Middle School Students, authors Mark Neill and Jerry Mathews (2009) explained the use of two instructional software programs, FastForWord (http://www.scilearn.com) for reading and Bridges (http://www.bridgesmarthart.org) for math, as an  intervention for academically at-risk students. The method of their research involved three groups of 7^th and 8^th grades students identified as “academically at-risk students who participated in two different technological learning interventions” for reading and for math and one group taking part in a traditional learning environment to use as comparison (Neill & Mathews, 2009, p. 57). The students who took part in regular computer based interventions using the Bridges software program for math for one academic year showed significant gains on the Western State Achievement Test (WSAT).  The results of the study conclude that “the overall school-wide student achievement, as measured by WSAT scores, increased by 22% following the first year of implementation of the FastForWord and Bridges interventions” (Neill & Mathews, 2009, p. 64). This data indicates using computer technology as a form of in class intervention was instrumental in closing the achievement gap between academically at-risk students and students who are proficient in math. Further, the academically at-risk students “who took part in the technology intervention programs did increase their average academic achievement above the Mean Growth Target on WSAT language arts and math subscales achievement of the prior year” (Neill & Mathews, 2009, p. 65). Although the Bridges (http://www.bridgesmarthart.org) software is not a free program, I searched for comparable websites that could be used with my at-risk students which are free and might help close the gap between them and students who consistently score proficient on standardized tests.

            A study conducted by professors Robert Maloy, Sharon Edwards and Gordon Anderson (2010) through the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that a combination of in-person learning activities coupled with online learning activities being used as a form of math intervention yielded impressive results. When 36 students took part in online activities using the website 4MALITY (http://www.4mality.org), both in school and at home as part of regular supportive homework activities, significant gains were measured between pre- and post-assessments. They report “a mean gain of 25.52% in test scores from pre-test among all student participants, while 36 student participants registered gains of 40% or more from pre-test to post-test” (Anderson et al. 2010, p. 8). With these statistically significant gains a solid case can be made for combining both traditional classroom teaching with online interventions to increase student math understanding and achievement, especially among struggling students who are at risk of not performing proficiently on standardized tests. As a result of reading this article I made the decision that the experimental group of students in my project will not only be taking part in whole-group math lessons and be required to complete regularly scheduled math homework with the rest of the students but will also be asked to view online educational lesson videos at Learnzillion.com (http://www.learnzillion.com). These lessons will support and review classroom lessons and may also be use to front-load information for upcoming lessons.

            Students who participate in computer based intervention programs which allow them to move along at their own pace from one level of understanding to the next show this system is beneficial to their math achievement. In one study, Matthew Burns, David Klingbeil and Jim Ysseldyke (2007) found if schools use a technology- enhanced formative evaluation (TEFE), they could “enhance student achievement while diminishing the burden of formative evaluation for educators” (Burns et al., 2007). Using TEFE assists educators by allowing teachers to pin point weaknesses in student understanding, allow students to progress at their own pace and only when the student’s understanding of each skill has been indicated (Burns, Klingbeil, and Ysseldyke,  2010). Once a student has shown they have mastered one concept, the TEFE computer system allows teachers to assess and print out the next objective for students to work through. Schools using TEFE were found to “have a higher percentage of students that scored at a proficient level on the statewide summative assessments” (Burns et al., 2010, p. 584). The online resources I have chosen will allow students to progress at their own speed and will use regular math quizzes to gauge their progress.

            In the article The Effect of Technology-Enhanced Continuous Progress Monitoring on Math Achievement, Bolt and Ysseldyke (2007) explain that programs like Accelerated Math (AM; Renaissance learning, 1998), can be used to continuously monitor student progress and “progress monitoring and instructional management systems significantly outperformed those whose teachers solely use the math curricula being used in their district” and that “data-driven decision making enhances progress toward meeting standards and results in higher test scores” (Bolt & Yssesdyke, 2007, p. 465).  Using computers to monitor student’s progress helps instructors develop lessons which support students learning needs and update appropriate strategies for learning which best suit individual student learning needs.

            When teachers combine computer based interventions in the classroom with online lesson support interventions at home, they provide struggling students with powerful tools to increase their math comprehension. In a study conducted by Derick Kiger, Dani Herro and Deb Prunty  (2012) at Oconomovoc Area School District, this kind of combined intervention proved to have a strong positive impact on student achievement. Their method in the classroom was to have students spend a 10-minute period focusing on multiplication (among other concepts) each day using a mobile learning devices (MLI) and math apps to practice multiplication each day (Kiger et al., 2012, p.7). In this model students also “learn at home by watching lectures” (p. 7) at such sites as Khan Academy (http://www.khandacademy.org). The authors explain that “this homework approach frees classroom time for problem solving and project-based learning facilitated by the teacher” (Kiger et al., 2012, p. 7).  They compared the outcome with a group of students who practiced multiplication “for 10 minutes each day using a business as usual techniques” (p. 7) in the classroom with flash cards, math games and others in a traditional classroom setting (Kiger et al., 2012, pp. 7-8). The outcome of the study was that students using MLI in class and outside the classroom “outperformed comparison students on a post intervention multiplication test controlling for student achievement and several other covariates. The findings suggest that coupling a ‘business as usual’ curriculum, that is traditional whole class instruction, with a mobile device may be a cost-effective lever to improve student achievement” (Kiger et al., 2012, p. 8). While mobile learning devices are expensive and not available to my students, I feel laptop and desktop computers can be used in much the same fashion. All students in my experimental group have access to computers in school and at home. Unfortunately, my school has a firewall program that does not allow access to KhanAcademy anymore. However, my students will be asked to view lessons at home using KhanAcademy (khanacademy.org) along with Learnzillion (learnzillion.com) in order to support both their classroom lessons and learning their multiplication facts. Since this article explains the student’s practice sessions for their research lasted ten minutes each, I made the decision to have my intervention last fifteen minutes each.

            In an action research project conducted by the Graduate Faculty of the School of Education at Saint Xavier University in Illinois, indications were presented that show favorable outcomes when technology is used to increase basic math concepts among primary age students who exhibited difficulties with number sense. The article entitled Improving Basic Math Skills Using Technology (2010) describes research performed with primary students and older students using computer assisted technologies to improve math skills. In their study, Kadan, Hudson, Lavin and Vasquez (2010) explains a research project which reported to increase basic math skills by incorporating technology.  In the study 42 children under the age of 12 and 50 over 12 years old were given a pre-intervention test during class time to gauge their math skills (Kadan, et al. 2010). The study lasted for five months in 2010 and “during the course of this intervention, teacher researcher(s) attempted to enhance students’ basic math skills by re-teaching math skills with an emphasis on number sense using computers, calculators, and other technological devices” and “…the students accessed mathematical websites and software via computers weekly” (Kadan, et al. p.37). In this study, the teachers asked students to use online computer programs that would re-teach basic math skills to allow students to the opportunity to practice learned math skills from February to April using the site Studyisland.com. Not only were students spending classroom time online with re-teaching software but were also using computer lab class time. This intervention process also had students practice online “once a month in the computer lab” (Kadan et al. p.37).  The study concludes that “fourth and fifth grade students improved from 51% to 74% of students receiving a 70% or better after the intervention” and “more students earned scores of 70% or higher when compared to the pre assessment scores” (Kadan et al. p.50). In this study re-teaching with technology was a focus and seen to be a “key factor for this increase of students showing mastery of basic skill problems” (Kadan et al. p.50). The authors also indicated that when students achieve these kinds of gains with understanding basic math facts it also influences their success with scoring proficient on standardized tests when they stated: “rapid retrieval is a predictor of higher performance on standardized tests” (Kadan et al. p.12).  Since this study shows students had academic success using computers to re-teach basic math skills, I have chosen websites that will not only re-teach basic math skills but allow practice time, instant feedback, and avatars that will speak to them and explain how to get the answer correct when mistakes are made.

            Published in the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education authors Ivon Arroyo, James Royer and Beverly Woolf (2011) shared the article Using an Intelligent Tutor and Math Fluency Training to Improve Math Performance. The research they performed looked at the idea that “intelligent tutoring software for mathematics can be enhanced if students receive additional training in speed of foundational skill activities” (Arroyo et al., 2011, p. 136). In the study Arroyo et al. (2011) provided a training phase for seventh and eighth graders where “students studied full digital pages of 40 math facts (e.g., two operand addition/subtraction/multiplication/division of at most two digit numbers), and if desired, they could click on each item to hear the answer (to learn or confirm that their answer was right)” (p.  141).  Students used the Wayang Outpost (http://wayangoutpost.com) which is described as an intelligent multimedia web-based tutoring software that teaches students to solve math problems that commonly appear on standardized tests and offers immediate feedback to students (Arroyo et al., 2011). The study outcomes indicated that the students who took part in the Wayang Outpost fluency intervention “scored significantly higher on the mock-standardized posttest” than the control groups who did not use the program and “achievement at harder standardized test items only improved when Wayang was used in combination with fluency training” (Arroyo et al., 2011, p. 148). 

References

References are located on the Reference page.