Search

Background: Game‐based learning can frame problem‐solving as a sense‐making experience with domain‐specific tasks for school students. However, multiple challenges arise when trying to support learners in such a complex, problem‐oriented learning environment. Objectives and Methods: With an architecture‐themed mathematics learning game, we conducted two mixed‐method studies to explore the impact and design of game‐based mathematical experience on the math problem‐solving performance of middle school students. Results and Conclusions: The study findings suggested a positive impact of game‐based math experience on math problem‐solving for middle school students. Problematization‐oriented game‐based math tasks with structuring features enhanced students' reasoning with problems and channelled it to doing mathematics. Takeaways: The current research findings support the initiative to frame learning as a sense‐making experience with domain‐specific tasks and inform the design of game‐based mathematical experience and learning support. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Realistic mathematical practices frame learning as a sense‐making experience.Challenges arise when involving learners in realistic mathematical experiences driven by domain‐specific tasks. What this paper adds: Game‐based simulation of math tasks framed learning as sense‐making experience.Game‐based math experiencing promoted math contextual problem‐solving performance.Structuring features enhanced problematized experiencing with math tasks. Implications for practice and/or policy: Teachers can integrate and facilitate game‐based math experiencing in class.Efforts should be made to make game‐based math tasks meaningful for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Even though monitoring and control enactment are key aspects of self‐regulated learning (SRL), Adaptive learning technologies (ALTs) may reduce the need for learners to monitor and control their learning. Personalized dashboards are effective in supporting learners' monitoring and can potentially support control behaviour. Allowing learners to enact control over their learning process, seems to hold potential for increasing their motivation. Objectives: Therefore, this study's aim was to investigate the relation between control enactment and motivation. We examined how learners enacted control while learning with an ALT with personalized dashboards and examined the relation between learners' enactment of control and their motivation. Methods: Seventy‐eight primary school learners (Grade 5) participated. During the lesson, learners worked on mathematics in the ALT and concurrently were shown personalized visualizations that supported monitoring and enacting control over their learning process. Learners could enact control to change problems' difficulty to easy, medium, or hard. Motivation was measured before and after learning. Results: The SEM analyses showed that how learners enacted control was related to their motivation. Choosing difficult problems was related to more enjoyment and competence while choosing easy problems related to more pressure and tension. Learners who complied with the suggested difficulty level experienced less choice, but also less pressure/tension and more enjoyment and competence. Conclusions: These results provide avenues to account for broader learner characteristics like SRL and motivation to optimize learning. This way, hybrid systems in which control enactment is a shared responsibility of the system and learner, can be improved to support SRL development. Lay Description: What is currently known: Monitor and control enactment are key aspects of self‐regulated learning (SRL).Adaptive learning technologies may reduce the need for learners to monitor and control their learning.Personalized dashboards support learners' monitoring behaviour and can potentially also support control enactment.Enactment of control could positively affect learners' motivation. What does this paper add: There is a large variation in how learners enact control and whether they comply with the scaffold.Learners who chose more difficult problems experienced more enjoyment, while learners choosing easy problems, experienced more pressure.Learners complied with the scaffold, experienced less choice, but also less pressure and more enjoyment.This study provides avenues to account for broader learner characteristics like SRL and motivation to optimize learning. Practical implications: Support control enactment by actively involve learners in choice during the learning process.Offer monitor and enactment in conjunction, as learners can only make well‐founded choices if they can monitor their learning process.Intrinsically and extrinsically motivated learners showed different choice patterns and learning experience.It is important to have an understanding and monitoring of learners' motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Study: The effects of the flipped classroom (FC) on students' academic performance remain ambiguous, and the use of pre‐class videos may be one of the main factors hindering students' progress. A software package called GeoGebra has been proposed as a substitute for pre‐class videos to aid students' learning. Objective: This study investigates the effect of the FC using GeoGebra (FCG) on mathematical performance and memory among senior secondary students. Methods: One hundred and sixty students of a senior high school in China were selected. A quasi‐experimental design was implemented in which the classes were split into the intervention group (FCG), control group A (FCV) and control group B (TL) by random assignment. Pretest, Post‐test 1 and Post‐test 2 were introduced. Results and Conclusion: The results indicate that both the FCG and the FC with pre‐class videos (FCV) were more effective than traditional lectures in enhancing students' academic test scores, and that the effect of the FCG was comparable to its video counterpart, F(2, 136) = 3.752, ρ = 0.026, η2 = 0.052. Although their effects were similar, the qualitative results revealed some hidden benefits associated with the replacement of pre‐class video with GeoGebra. Furthermore, although they were equally effective in promoting students' performance in the short‐term, the long‐term effects on academic performance of both forms of FC were non‐significant when compared with traditional lectures. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Flipped classroom is an effective strategy in teaching mathematics.Among those challenges, video may be one of the main factors hindering the effect of flipped classroom. What this paper adds: GeoGebra could be an effective alternative to video.Effect between the flipped classroom using GeoGebra and the flipped classroom using video were similar.Both the flipped classroom with GeoGebra and the flipped classroom with videos were more effective than traditional lectures. Implications for practice and/or policy: Students' short‐term performance could be enhanced by visualisation provided by flipped classroom.To enhance students' long‐term performance, an appropriate amount of homework is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Students often show unfavourable attribution: they attribute poor school performance to stable factors such as lack of ability and good school performance to variable factors such as effort. However, attribution can be influenced by individualized digital re‐attributional feedback leading to positive motivational effects and higher learning outcomes. This is very promising, but it still is unclear, whether this digital re‐attributional feedback can also be successfully integrated in everyday classroom activities. Objectives: The present field experiment investigated how integrating digital re‐attributional feedback into classroom instruction affects student attribution, motivation and learning outcomes. Methods: In the experiment, 8th–10th grade high school students (N = 322) worked with a digital mathematics learning program which was integrated in a three‐week teaching unit. Half the students in each classroom received only standard feedback after each practice task (SF group); the other half received additionally an individual re‐attributional feedback (RF group) after every third task. Attribution, mathematics self‐concept, and self‐efficacy were measured by an online questionnaire twice a week; learning outcomes in mathematics were measured weekly. Results and Conclusion: Hierarchical analyses showed that re‐attributional feedback led to a more favourable attribution in case of success on stable factors. Especially low‐performing students benefited from this feedback. No effects on attribution in case of failure, self‐efficacy or learning outcomes could be found. Further research could investigate if certain adaptations to the digital re‐attributional feedback is more effective in a real classroom setting and has a broader impact on different students. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Working with computers in the classroom and at home is becoming more common.Re‐attributional feedback can increase student's motivation when given directly after solving a task and at a high density.Digital re‐attributive feedback can be given in a high density.Re‐attributional training sessions have been shown to be effective in individual training sessions or outside the students' classroom. What this paper adds: The study took place within a real teaching environment during mathematics class for 4 weeks.Digital re‐attributional feedback sessions were directly integrated into the students' online learning which was part of the teaching plan. The implications of study findings for practitioners: Computer‐based re‐attributional training show some limited effects in regular classroom instruction and could be well integrated in student online learning—when adapted accordingly.Low‐performing students show less favourable attribution than better‐performing students in case of success and benefit the most from re‐attributional training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Providing students with worked out problem solutions is a beneficial instructional technique in STEM disciplines, and studying examples that have been worked out incorrectly may be especially helpful for reducing misconceptions in students with low prior content knowledge. However, past results are inconclusive and the effects of incorrect worked examples alone or in combination with correct examples remains unclear. Objectives: We aim to address whether studying incorrect examples alone or in combination with correct examples can support the reduction of students' fraction misconceptions, operationalized as errors made with high confidence. Methods: After incorrectly solving a sampling problem, 130 students in 4th through 11th grade in the U.S. were randomly assigned to a condition in an online problem set focused on fraction equivalence. Students studied either single‐type worked examples (i.e., correct or incorrect; n = 49) or combination‐type worked examples (correct and incorrect; n = 41) or engaged in a problem‐solving control (n = 50). Results: Studying a combination of correct and incorrect worked examples was as effective as the problem‐solving control with feedback at improving fraction equivalence knowledge and reducing the rate of high‐confidence errors. Students in both the combination condition and the problem‐solving with feedback condition outperformed those who studied either correct or incorrect worked examples alone. Conclusions: Results support the inclusion of a combination of correct and incorrect worked examples when teaching students with low prior content knowledge. Studying a combination of example types within an online tutor helps to reduce misconceptions about fractions, a topic students commonly struggle with. A problem‐solving task with corrective feedback worked equally well. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Studying worked examples of mathematical solutions improves student learning.Incorrect examples, either alone or in combination with correct examples, are particularly effective for improving learning for students with low prior knowledge in the target content.Comparing correct and incorrect examples is also effective at improving problem‐solving but this effect may be specific to those with high prior knowledge.Still unknown are the impacts of these different combinations of examples on misconceptions in particular. What this paper adds: We show that studying a combination of correct and incorrect examples reduces math misconceptions.Problem‐solving with corrective feedback within an online tutor also has this effect. Implications for practice and/or policy: Using a combination of example types will help reduce students' misconceptions about fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The substantial growth in gamification research has connected gamified learning to enhanced engagement, improved performance, and greater motivation. Similar to gamification, personalized learning analytics dashboards can enhance student engagement. Objectives: This study explores the student experiences and academic achievements using a gamified dashboard in a large, introductory STEM course. Methods: We examined two groups of students enrolled in different sections of a one‐semester‐long physical geology course with a total enrollment of 223 students. The only difference between the groups was that one had access to the dashboard. The data collection included students' assignments, overall performances, and exam scores. Students in both sections completed a Science Literacy Concept Inventory survey at the beginning and end of the term. Additionally, students completed an end‐of‐term survey containing open‐ended questions on their experience and interactions with specific elements. Results: Students shared mostly positive comments about their experience with the dashboard, and the final grade of students with access to the dashboard was 13% higher, on average, compared to their peers in the non‐dashboard section. Conclusion: With low costs and little time invested, gamified dashboards could have a significant impact on student performance in large STEM lecture courses. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Leaner dashboards that provide personalized feedback are linked to improved student performance in undergraduate STEM courses. However, students may be reticent to adopt dashboards, especially students in the middle range of the performance distribution, for whom the impact of the dashboard may be most significant.Prior research on gamification in STEM courses suggests that adding gameful elements like progress trackers, badges, and rewards can increase students' engagement in undergraduate coursework.The combination of personalized learning in dashboards and the motivational experience of gamification should boost student engagement, dashboard adoption, and ultimately foster academic achievement. What this paper adds: In this paper, we examine the differences in academic performance between students with and without access to a gamified learning dashboard in an undergraduate Geology course.We observe that students with access to the dashboard (the treatment group), outperform students without access (the control group). The greatest benefit is observed for students who use the dashboard more frequently.Students reported that the progress tracker, the badges, and the rewards all incentivized their use and provided useful feedback about their performance. Students who did not adopt the dashboard expressed a need for more detail about the tool and its purpose. Implications for practice and/or policy: Instructors and instructional designers for large enrollment undergraduate STEM courses should consider the affordances of gamified learner dashboards for increasing engagement and for providing synchronous feedback about learners' strategies in the course.Aligning the dashboard to the content of the curriculum—by ensuring that badges reflect key concepts‐ encouraged participation and helped students identify the utility of the tool. Dashboards should be personalized to individuals and to the course.Adding gameful elements in a low‐cost intervention for increasing adoption and engagement of dashboards in large enrollment introductory courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A strong knowledge of mathematics, beginning at the elementary level, is critical for participation in today's complex world. The home may be one way to facilitate individualized mathematics instruction, given that children spend more time at home than in an academic institution. Therefore, researchers are interested to see whether the home numeracy environment (HNE) can provide a solid foundation for children's mathematics understanding. Further, children's digital mathematics exploration at home is increasingly common (e.g., using math apps). Objectives: The present study evaluates the digital home numeracy practice (DHNP) model and explores its effect on children's mathematics knowledge across five domains (numeration, number operation, pattern recognition, spatial sense, and applied problem‐solving). Methods: To conduct this study, 117 Canadian parents and their children from Grade 1 through 5 completed a DHNP survey and a range of in‐person mathematics measures. Results and Conclusions: The results identified significant relations between parents and children's implicit mathematics factors (e.g., math anxiety, motivation). Children's mathematics anxiety and parents' academic estimations and expectations for their children positively predicted children's mathematics knowledge. In terms of DHNP components, parental involvement in DHNP predicted children's numeration and applied problem‐solving knowledge. Implications: Taken together, the results detail the contribution of parental and child factors to children's mathematics knowledge and suggest that parents adjust their role in DHNP according to their children's mathematics ability. Lay Description: What is (not) known about the subject matter?: Research is less developed on the impact of home technology in the mathematics learning processExisting research did not use a multi‐measure approach to assess the relationships between a variety of home numeracy factors and fundamental mathematics concepts and processes What is the contribution of this paper?: The paper highlights the importance of considering different home related factors to understand the role of home numeracy practices in children's mathematics developmentIt provides a holistic view of digital home numeracy practice (DHNP) by examining several implicit and explicit components of home numeracy environmentChildren's mathematics anxiety predicts their mathematics knowledgeParental estimation and expectation about their children's mathematics performance predicts their mathematics knowledge across several domains whereas parental role on DHNP impacts children's numeration only What are the implications of the findings?: The findings provide an understanding of the significant value of including digital mathematics practices in the study of the home mathematics environmentThe outcome of the study provides guidance for educators and researchers to better understand and leverage DHNP, and its impact on children's mathematics educationFuture research should investigate to what extent digital features should be included in the DHNP model. This will provide insights into the impact of using well‐designed apps on children's mathematics learning [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teachers often rely on the use of open‐ended questions to assess students' conceptual understanding of assigned content. Particularly in the context of mathematics; teachers use these types of questions to gain insight into the processes and strategies adopted by students in solving mathematical problems beyond what is possible through more close‐ended problem types. While these types of problems are valuable to teachers, the variation in student responses to these questions makes it difficult, and time‐consuming, to evaluate and provide directed feedback. It is a well‐studied concept that feedback, both in terms of a numeric score but more importantly in the form of teacher‐authored comments, can help guide students as to how to improve, leading to increased learning. It is for this reason that teachers need better support not only for assessing students' work but also in providing meaningful and directed feedback to students. Objectives: In this paper, we seek to develop, evaluate, and examine machine learning models that support automated open response assessment and feedback. Methods: We build upon the prior research in the automatic assessment of student responses to open‐ended problems and introduce a novel approach that leverages student log data combined with machine learning and natural language processing methods. Utilizing sentence‐level semantic representations of student responses to open‐ended questions, we propose a collaborative filtering‐based approach to both predict student scores as well as recommend appropriate feedback messages for teachers to send to their students. Results and Conclusion: We find that our method outperforms previously published benchmarks across three different metrics for the task of predicting student performance. Through an error analysis, we identify several areas where future works may be able to improve upon our approach. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Open‐ended questions are used by teachers in the domain of mathematics to assess their students understanding but automated support for these types of questions are limited in online learning platforms. Recent advancements in areas of machine learning and natural language processing have led to promising results in a range of domains and applications. What this paper adds: Emulating how teachers identify similar student answers can be used to build tools that support teachers in assessing and providing feedback to student open‐ended work. Implications for practice: Developing better automated supports can increase the amount of direct feedback students receive to guide their learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measurement of students' self‐regulation skills is an active topic in education research, as effective assessment helps devising support interventions to foster academic achievement. Measures based on event tracing usually require large amounts of data (e.g., MOOCs and large courses), while aptitude measures are often qualitative and need careful interpretation. Precise and interpretable evaluation of self‐regulation skills in a normal K‐12 classroom thus poses a challenge. Objectives: The present study proposes and explores a learning analytics method of combining aptitude and event measures to evaluate student's self‐regulation skills. Methods: An explorative learning analytics study was conducted in a junior high school mathematics class (N=20 students), using a three‐lesson intervention with digital learning materials. Students first assessed their self‐regulation skills with a self‐report questionnaire, after which trace logs and observations of student behaviour were collected. Learning sessions were extracted from trace logs, clustered, and linked to learning strategies. Students were clustered by the self‐report results and learning behaviour profiles. Session clusters, student behaviour clusters and assignment grades were also tested for association. Results and Conclusions: The detected session and student behaviour types were linked to learning tactics and strategies found in prior studies. Additionally, association was found between self‐reported self‐regulation skills and the student behaviour obtained from trace logs. Implications: The results demonstrate the feasibility of concurrently using aptitude and event measures on a classroom scale, providing teachers with a tool to evaluate and support self‐regulated learning. Combined with further measures like predictive learning analytics, teachers can obtain an early and highly interpretable picture of at‐risk students in their classes. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Active monitoring of self‐regulated learning skills is primarily standard in large courses and MOOCs.Aptitude measures for self‐regulated learning are commonplace but considered subjective.Event measures for self‐regulated learning are precise but require additional interpretation to link behaviour to learning.Prior studies demonstrated approaches to analysing student behaviour from trace logs. What this paper adds: Both measure types can be used to monitor student behaviour in a classroom actively over a low number of sessions.Event and aptitude measures complement each other by exposing discrepancies between students' behaviours and actions.Measuring self‐regulated learning actively in class can yield valuable information to select appropriate interventions. Implications for practice: Integrating aptitude and event measures in digital learning materials gives teachers quickly actionable information about student behaviour.Approaches to integrating learning analytics for self‐regulated learning in digital learning materials should be further developed.Data‐informed choice of self‐regulated learning interventions should be explored further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As one of the mainstream forms of programming education, educational robotics (ER) have been a crucial way to develop K‐12 students' programming ability. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to clarify the content of programming ability, to verify the effectiveness of ER as a teaching method to improve students' programming abilities and the conditions for more effective instructional design. Methods: The method of meta‐analysis was adopted to conduct this study. 4180 K‐12 students from 36 studies with a total of 85 effect sizes were captured. Based on the contents of included literature, an ER programming ability model was put forward, which was composed of essential ability and generative ability. The meta‐analysis of essential ability (N = 22) and generative ability (N = 64) was carried out respectively. Results and conclusion: The results showed that ER activity has a positive effect on the essential ability (Hedges' g = 0.539 CI [0.327, 0.752], p < 0.001) and generative ability (Hedges' g = 0.535 CI [0.426, 0.643], p < 0.001). Additionally, the results of moderator analysis showed that utilizing ER to solve mathematics problems is able to more effectively develop students' essential ability, while the STEM interdisciplinary ER instruction had the largest effect on generative ability. Simultaneously, the individual programming form is conducive to students' essential ability, while the generative ability is significantly affected by the cooperative programming form. No matter for the evaluation of essential ability or generative ability, ER had the greatest effect on kindergarten children' programming ability. Moreover, the intervention duration ranging from 1 to 5 weeks, the samples size less than 50 and the choice of measurement scale can effectively improve students' programming ability. Implications: This research enriched the theoretical basis of programming ability, and provided reference and guidance for K‐12 programming teaching practitioners and researchers in ER teaching design and practise. Lay Description: What is (not) known about the subject matter?: Educational robotics (ER) is one of the mainstream form of K‐12 programming education.K‐12 students develop various abilities by coding ER.Different instruction conditions in ER education may affect the teaching effect. What is the contribution of this paper?: This study sorted out the specific content of programming ability in ER activities, and classified programming ability into essential ability and generative ability.This study respectively validated the effectiveness of ER activity on improving essential ability and generative ability of K‐12 students.This study considered discipline integration, cooperation degree, grade level, intervention duration, sample size and assessment tools as moderator variables, and analyzed their effects sizes on ER developing programming ability. What are the implications for practitioners?: This paper clarified the specific content of programming ability in K‐12 ER education, and enriched the theoretical basis of programming ability.It provided evidence for the effectiveness of K‐12 ER education.This study provided an reference and guidance for ER instructional design for K‐12 programming teachers and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Digital game‐based learning is gaining increased attention from both researchers and educators for improving mathematics instruction. However, the evidence for game‐based learning is mixed and research with rigorous research design and analyses are limited. Objective: Here, in a pre‐registered randomized controlled study, we investigated whether a fraction game designed collaboratively by educational experts and professional game developers may serve as a useful tool to enhance students' fraction knowledge. Methods: We assigned French fifth graders to either an experimental group who used the game (n = 110) or a control group (n = 78) who received traditional instruction on fractions. Fraction knowledge was assessed pre‐ and post‐intervention. Results: Results show that students in the active control group had superior overall fraction performance than students in the experimental group at the end of intervention. However, the game had a positive effect on decimal learning. We also found a positive relation between game performance and overall fraction knowledge scores at post‐test. Contribution: The study highlights the importance of game metrics as indicators of personalized assessment tools. Given the increased usage of games in learning mathematics and the equivocal results on the effectiveness of these games, our study also highlights the importance of pre‐registration and randomized controlled studies. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Digital game‐based learning (DGBL) is gaining popularity in mathematics teaching.DGBL shows potential for teaching difficult abstract concepts such as fractions.However, research evaluating DGBL for fractions is limited. What this paper adds: The study examines a fraction game designed by education experts and game designers.Students fraction knowledge is assessed using paper‐based test.Challenges associated with DGBL in the classroom are discussed in the paper. Implications for practice: The results will guide educators in designing effective fraction instruction in classroom.The study highlights the critical role of instructional support in DGBL for fractions.Game based metrics can be used to individualize instruction in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The sudden growth in online instruction due to COVID‐19 restrictions has given renewed urgency to questions about remote learning that have remained unresolved. Web‐based assessment software provides instructors an array of options for varying testing parameters, but the pedagogical impacts of some of these variations has yet to be examined. Objectives: The current study examines whether question order affects student performance on online college math assessments. Drawing on the literature of testing and math anxiety, we hypothesized that difficult questions near the beginning of an assessment would have a destructive effect on student confidence, which would in turn have a deleterious effect on their performance. Methods: We employed an observational 'big data' methodology, analysing 23,468 final exams completed by students in 10 different courses over eight semesters at a Math Emporium in a large technical university in the eastern United States. Students were freshmen and sophomores enrolled in non‐engineering math courses. We regressed the final score on the difficulty level of the first and second questions, controlling for several other factors. Results and Conclusions: We found that several factors—day of the week, amount of time before the deadline, number of minutes spent on the exam—have more of an impact on score than question order. This pattern was consistent across sexes. Takeaways: Our findings contradict some previous studies, which have found that difficult early questions degrade student performance, and that this affect is more pronounced in females. This work enriches our understanding of how students respond to online assessment. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Previous studies have had mixed results about the effect of question difficulty ordering on student performance.Furthermore, few studies have examined this issue for computer assessments. What this paper adds: We employ a novel methodology with a uniquely large data set.Our findings indicate that difficulty ordering has no effect on student performance. Implications for practice: Math instructors can use the random ordering feature of computer assessment generating tools because question order does not affect performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior work has shown that middle school students struggle with algebra and that game‐based educational technologies, such as DragonBox and From Here to There!, are effective at improving students' algebraic performance. However, it remains unclear which aspects of algebraic knowledge shift as a result of playing these games and what game design features support algebraic learning. Objective: Using the data from a randomized controlled trial conducted in the 2020–2021 academic year, we (a) examined students' relative performance on assessment items measuring conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge and procedural flexibility in algebraic equation solving, and (b) identified changes in these aspects of algebraic knowledge after playing DragonBox or From Here to There!. Methods: Eight hundred eighty‐seven seventh‐graders were randomly assigned to playing DragonBox or From Here to There! for nine 30‐min sessions throughout the school year. Students also completed a pretest, midtest and posttest measuring their algebraic knowledge. Results and Conclusion: First, prior to the intervention, students scored the highest on procedural knowledge and lowest on conceptual knowledge. Second, students significantly improved and maintained learning gains on conceptual knowledge throughout the intervention. Their performance on procedural knowledge and procedural flexibility items increased at midtest but decreased at posttest. Third, the pattern of results was consistent for students in the DragonBox and From Here to There! conditions, suggesting that both games may support students' conceptual understanding of algebra. The findings have implications for research and practice on supporting algebraic learning through game‐based technologies during and beyond educational disruptions. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Middle school students struggle with aspects of algebra.DragonBox and From Here to There! are two game‐based technologies designed to support students' algebraic learning.Both games implement point rewards and dynamic interactions; they differ in the uses of algebraic notation and problem structures. What this paper adds: Both games improved seventh‐graders' conceptual knowledge of algebraic equivalence.Students also improved on procedural knowledge and procedural flexibility, but the gains did not last to the end of the intervention. Implications for practice and/or policy: The games and their shared features may provide an engaging way to support students' conceptual understanding of algebra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although research on mathematics learning programs has taken off in recent years, little is known about how different person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with such programs. When implementing a mathematics learning program in the classroom, it might be important to know whether students with specific characteristics need more encouragement to make use of this learning opportunity. Objectives: Using a supply‐use model, we analysed the predictive power of students' cognitive characteristics (prior mathematics knowledge), personality traits (conscientiousness), motivational‐affective characteristics (mathematics self‐concept and mathematics anxiety), and family background characteristics (socioeconomic status and migration background) for practising with an adaptive arithmetic learning program. Methods: We used longitudinal data from 203 fifth graders from seven non‐academic‐track schools in Germany. Practice behaviour, measured by completed tasks in the learning program, was recorded weekly for every student over a period of 22 weeks. Results and Conclusions: The results of our multilevel analyses showed that mathematics anxious students practised less with the program. We did not find any relationship with the other characteristics. Takeaways: Our results suggest that mathematics anxious students need more encouragement when practising with a mathematics learning program; otherwise, they do not get the chance to benefit from the use. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The use of mathematics learning programmes in mathematics education has recently intensified.It is important that students practice with such learning programmes regularly over a longer period of time in order for them to achieve learning success.Students differ in their mathematics learning behaviour. What this paper adds: Little is known about how person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with mathematics learning programmes.Students may differ in their use of a mathematics learning programme, which is why cognitive characteristics, personality traits, motivational‐affective characteristics, and family background characteristics may affect students' practice behaviour. Implications for practice: Mathematics anxious students practiced less with a mathematics learning program, and need more encouragement to benefit equally from the implementation in school.Teachers should keep in mind that after the initial enthusiasm, practice with a programme may decrease over time, especially after school holidays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Readability metrics provide us with an objective and efficient way to assess the quality of educational texts. We can use the readability measures for finding assessment items that are difficult to read for a given grade level. Hard‐to‐read math word problems can put some students at a disadvantage if they are behind in their literacy learning. Despite their math abilities, these students can perform poorly on difficult‐to‐read word problems because of their poor reading skills. Less readable math tests can create equity issues for students who are relatively new to the language of assessment. Less readable test items can also affect the assessment's construct validity by partially measuring reading comprehension. Objectives: This study shows how large language models help us improve the readability of math assessment items. Methods: We analysed 250 test items from grades 3 to 5 of EngageNY, an open‐source curriculum. We used the GPT‐3 AI system to simplify the text of these math word problems. We used text prompts and the few‐shot learning method for the simplification task. Results and Conclusions: On average, GPT‐3 AI produced output passages that showed improvements in readability metrics, but the outputs had a large amount of noise and were often unrelated to the input. We used thresholds over text similarity metrics and changes in readability measures to filter out the noise. We found meaningful simplifications that can be given to item authors as suggestions for improvement. Takeaways: GPT‐3 AI is capable of simplifying hard‐to‐read math word problems. The model generates noisy simplifications using text prompts or few‐shot learning methods. The noise can be filtered using text similarity and readability measures. The meaningful simplifications AI produces are sound but not ready to be used as a direct replacement for the original items. To improve test quality, simplifications can be suggested to item authors at the time of digital question authoring. Lay Description: What is Known About the Subject: Difficult to read math assessment items cause measurement and equity issuesReadability of math word problems negatively correlated with outcomes What Our Paper Adds: GPT‐3 AI system is capable to simplify math word problemsPrompt‐based and few‐shot learning‐based approaches are able to create meaningful simplifications, but with a very low accuracy rateText similarity and readability measures can be used to filter out noisy outputs and discover interesting simplifications What are the Implications for Practitioners: GPT‐3 AI is capable of generating relevant math world problem simplificationsSimplified text can be used as suggestions to question authors during the digital item authoring process [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computer‐based assessment allows for the monitoring of reader behaviour. The identification of patterns in this behaviour can provide insights that may be useful in informing educational interventions. Objectives: Our study aims to explore what different patterns of reading activity exist, and investigates their interpretation and consistency across different task sets (units), countries, and languages. Three patterns were expected: on‐task, exploring and disengaged. Methods: Using log data from the PISA 2012 digital reading assessment (9226 students from seven countries), we conducted hierarchical cluster analyses with typical process indicators of digital reading assessments. We identified different patterns and explored whether they remained consistent across different units. To validate the interpretation of the identified patterns, we examined their relationship to performance and student characteristics (gender, socio‐economic status, print reading skills). Results and Conclusions: The results indicate a small number of transnational clusters, with unit‐specific differences. Cluster interpretation is supported by associations with student characteristics—for example, students with low print reading skills were more likely to show a disengaged pattern than proficient readers. Exploring behaviour tended to be exhibited only once across the three units: It occurred in the first unit for proficient readers and in later units for less skilled readers. Major Takeaways: Behavioural patterns can be identified in digital reading tasks that may prove useful for educational monitoring and intervention. Although task situations are designed to evoke certain behaviours, the interpretation of observed behavioural patterns requires validation based on task requirements, assessment context and relationships to other available information. Lay Description: What is already known about the subject matter?: Students differ in how they read, comprehend and use digital information.Indicators from process data provide insight about how students engage with digital reading tasks. What does this paper add to the subject matter?: Based on multiple process indicators, a small number of clusters indicating different behavioural activity can be distinguished.These clusters can be described as on‐task, passive, hasty, exploring, disengaged, persistent and lost interest.A meaningful interpretation of the clusters must consider the requirements of the underlying tasks. Implications for practice and/or policy: Knowledge of how students engage with digital resources may provide useful feedback for teachers to guide students' learning or intervene when they struggle.Educational monitoring: The high comparability of country‐specific results suggests an invariant set of solution strategies in the digital reading assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Valuable safeguards against fast‐spreading conjectures about learning in times of fear and uncertainty are evidence‐based approaches to the assessment of the impact of sudden and unforeseen disruptions on learning practices. The present research focused on physics learning in such times because conceptual and computational literacy in physics is critical to the development of a scientifically and technologically literate society. Objectives: The present research aimed (a) to offer an objective assessment of whether performance differences in a physics course of the general education curriculum existed between the face‐to‐face medium (familiar mode of instruction) and the online medium (unfamiliar mode of instruction) for both male and female students, and then (b) to develop a response to the evidence collected to ensure a quality education for all parties involved. The research intended to fill two critical gaps in the extant literature: mixed findings concerning students' performance in the face‐to‐face and online mediums as well as scarce coverage of specific domains of knowledge that are critical to STEM learners. Methods: Students' performance was examined as a function of the type of assessment (formative and summative), instructional mode (online and face‐to‐face), and gender. An understudied student population of STEM students of Middle Eastern descent without prior formal exposure to online instruction was targeted. Results and Conclusions: In both formative and summative assessments, male students performed better online than face‐to‐face, whereas the performance of female students was either higher online or equivalent between instructional mediums. The evidence collected suggested that consideration be given to remedies that foster academic success in the face‐to‐face instructional medium, particularly for male students. Takeaways: An evidence‐based approach to learning dismantled emotion‐driven expectations regarding the impact of the online medium on physics learning, and encouraged new perspectives about instruction. Lay Description: What is already known?: Ongoing debates on the impact of the pandemic on students' learning shape decisions regarding future reliance on the online medium for instruction. What this paper adds: The extant literature is mixed concerning performance in the face‐to‐face and online mediums, including particular domains of knowledge critical to STEM learning.This study focused on physics learning in an understudied population of STEM students who were unaccustomed to online instruction.Performance was higher online than face‐to‐face, but gender differences emerged. Implications for practice: Lessons learned focused on the flexibility of online learning and on the need to develop materials to enhance learning in males enrolled in face‐to‐face or hybrid/blended classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mastering fractions seems among the most critical mathematical skills for students to acquire in school as fraction understanding significantly predicts later mathematic achievements, but also broader academic and vocational prospects. As such, identifying longitudinal predictors of fraction understanding (e.g., mastery of numbers and operations) is highly relevant. However, almost all existing studies identifying more basic numerical skills as predictors of fraction understanding rest on data acquired in face‐to‐face testing—mostly in classrooms. Objectives: In this article, we evaluated whether results obtained in these previous studies generalized to data from the curriculum‐based online learning environment Bettermarks for mathematics used in schools in the Netherlands. Methods: We considered data from more than 5000 students who solved over 1 million mathematical problem sets on basic mathematical skills, fractions, but also algebra. Results and Conclusions: In line with previous findings, we found that fraction understanding was predicted significantly by more basic mathematical skills. Our analyses also indicated that algebra achievement was predicted significantly by fraction understanding beyond influences of more basic mathematical skills. Implications: Together, these findings generalized previous results based on face‐to‐face testing to the context of data from online learning environments and thus, indicate that data from such large‐scale online learning environments may well qualify to provide significant insights into the hierarchical development of mathematical skills. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Understanding fractions is one of the most difficult mathematical skill for students to learn in school.Longitudinal studies using face‐to‐face testing indicated that fraction understanding as well as achievements in algebra can robustly be predicted by prior mathematics skills. What this paper adds: We evaluated data from more than 5,000 Dutch students who performed over 1 million curriculum‐based mathematical problem sets in an online learning environment.Our analyses showed that fraction understanding as well as achievements in algebra and can be predicted by prior mathematics skills. Implications for practitioners: These results indicated that previous results from face‐to‐face testing generalize to data obtained from large‐scale online learning environments.Thus, these results open up a new avenue for research using online learning environments on the development of mathematical skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computational thinking (CT) is regarded as an essential 21st‐century skill, and attempts have been made to integrate it into other subjects. Instructional approaches to CT development and assessment in the field of computer science have attracted global attention, but the influence of CT skills on other subject areas is under‐researched. Objective: Our goal is to investigate the transfer effects of CT in different subject areas and examine the educational characteristics of CT intervention approaches that promote the transfer of learning. Method: We carefully selected and reviewed 55 empirical studies from leading bibliographic databases and examined the transfer of CT using a meta‐analysis and a qualitative synthesis. Results and Conclusions: We identified and summarized these effects in the fields of mathematics, science, engineering and the humanities. A meta‐analysis of these studies identified a generally significant effect of the transfer of CT skills to other subject areas. We also explored the characteristics of CT interventions that aid the transfer of learning by qualitatively assessing the identified studies. The results of the review offer a holistic view of the trends in CT transfer research that can be used as a reference for both researchers and instructors. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Computational thinking (CT) has been developed into cross‐disciplinary literacy and can lead to innovations in various academic fields.There is a need for a systematic understanding of the transfer effects of CT to improve the influence of CT and promote CT integration across domains. What this paper adds: Our review identified several subject areas beyond computer science in which the transfer effects of CT were observed.Our analysis revealed that the transfer of CT has a significant positive effect on students' learning in areas beyond computer science.Our review synthesized a series of intervention guidelines that can promote the transfer of learning in CT education. Implications for practitioners: Research on the transfer of CT in engineering and non‐STEM domains is required for a more comprehensive understanding of CT skills.Instructional design in CT education should attend to the facilitation of the transfer of learning to maximize the benefits of CT acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eye movement modelling examples (EMME) are demonstrations in which learners' not only see a model's (e.g., a teacher's) task performance on a computer screen (as in regular video examples) but also the model's eye movements (represented as moving coloured dots overlaid on the screen). Thereby EMME help guide learners' attention towards the relevant information and can model cognitive strategies which are otherwise unobservable for learners. Objectives: This study investigated whether EMME can help to learn deductive reasoning strategies and how the presence/absence of a teacher's verbal explanation affects learning from EMME. Methods: Secondary education students (N = 137) were randomly assigned to study video examples under one of four conditions in a 2 (EMME: yes/no) x 2 (verbal explanations: yes/no) between‐subjects design. Results and Conclusions: Results revealed only a beneficial effect of the presence of verbal explanations on performance on the practice problems, but no pretest‐to‐posttest learning gains. Implications: Seeing the teacher's eye movements does not appear to enhance learning of deductive reasoning. The presence/absence of the teacher's verbal explanation does not seem to affect learning deductive reasoning. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter?: Eye movement modelling examples (EMME) are demonstrations in which learners not only see a teacher's task execution on a computer screen (as in video examples) but also the teacher's eye movements.The eye movements in EMME were visualized as moving coloured dots overlaid on the screen recording.EMME help direct attention to relevant information and enhance learning; it is not yet known if this also applies to reasoning problems.It is unknown if and how presence/absence of a teacher's verbal explanation affects learning from EMME. What our paper adds to this?: Secondary education students watched EMME or regular video examples with/without a teacher's verbal explanation.The examples demonstrated how to solve deductive reasoning problems (adapted version of the Mastermind game).Performance and learning gains were examined and revealed no differences between conditions. The implications of study findings for practitioners: Seeing the teacher's eye movements does not appear to enhance learning of deductive reasoning.The presence/absence of the teacher's verbal explanation does not seem to affect learning deductive reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous work has identified that the benefits of learning with videogames and learning from simulations. However, recent meta‐analytic work has also identified that little research directly compares learning with videogames and learning with simulations. Objectives: This study examines two learning technologies and their corresponding pedagogical approaches and compares them for learning the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics topic of electric charges. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention using a computer simulation for inquiry‐based learning or a computer videogame for game‐based learning. Their learning gains, self‐reported emotional state and experienced cognitive load were recorded. Results: We found that both learning environments improved conceptual learning, and there were no statistically significant differences between the two conditions. Participants did perceive the game‐based environment to be more engaging as well as more frustrating. We also found that cognitive load did not predict learning—however, different types of cognitive load correlated with different emotions. Overall, participants in both conditions were engaged and perceived understanding of the topic, yet they also experienced both confusion and task‐unrelated thoughts. Takeaways: When learning with simulations and videogames, educators need to align intended learning outcomes with pedagogical approaches enabled by technology. In addition, a balance between principles of multimedia learning to reduce or prevent extraneous processing, and scaffolding to reduce negative effects of learning with technology, need to be considered. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Research on the use of computer simulations for learning has identified positive learning effects regarding achievement outcomes, inquiry skills and noncognitive outcomes.Research on the use of videogames for learning has suggested learning benefits, such as improved working memory, development of creativity skills and achievement outcomes.Recent meta‐analytic work has identified that there is little research that directly compares learning with videogames and learning with simulations. What this paper adds: Learning benefits of difficult Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts may be different for game‐based learning (GBL) than inquiry‐based learning (IBL).Positive emotions can be experienced when learning via GBL than when learning via IBL.Students, who experience more positive emotions may also achieve higher learning gains.Students' cognitive load may be different when learning with GBL than when learning via IBL.Students experiencing high cognitive load (i.e., intrinsic and extraneous) may show lower learning gains.Students experiencing high cognitive load (i.e., intrinsic and extraneous) may show higher level of mind‐wandering, frustration, or confusion. Implications for practice and/or policy: Learning with simulated inquiry base environment and game base environment improved conceptual learning.GBL was more engaging and more frustrating for students, when learning with computer videogames.Cognitive load did not predict STEM learning with technologies.Different cognitive load correlated with different learning emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple external representations (MERs) play an important role in the learning field of mathematics. Whereas the cognitive theory of multimedia learning and the integrative text and picture comprehension model assume that the heterogeneous combination of symbolic and analogous representations fosters learning; the design, functions, and tasks framework holds that learning benefits depend on the specific functions of MERs. The current paper describes a conceptual replication study of one of the few studies comparing single representations, heterogeneous, and homogeneous MERs in the context of mathematics learning. In a balanced incomplete block design, the participants were provided single representations (a graphic, text, or formula) or a heterogeneous (e.g., text + graphic) or homogeneous (text + formula) combination of these to solve linear system of equations problems. In accordance with previous research, performance was superior in conditions providing MERs compared to single‐representation conditions. Moreover, heterogeneous MERs led to time savings over homogeneous MERs which triggered an increase in cognitive load. Contrary to previous research, text was the least fixated representation whereas the graphical representation proved to be most beneficial. With regard to practical implications, experts should be fostered through more challenging homogeneous MERs whereas novices should be supported through the accessible graphic contained in heterogeneous MERs. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Providing multiple instead of single representations can foster mathematics learning.However, some combinations of representations hamper the performance of novice learners.The classical multimedia view explains the positive effect of combining text with picture.Recent research suggests the combination of multiple symbolic representations (text and formula). What this paper adds: The study replicated the effect of multiple symbolic representations for equation solving.In contrast to former research, each representation (text, formula, and graphic) was functionally equivalent.Tasks with differently coded representations were solved faster and with less mental effort.Gaze behavior indicated that students mostly used the graphical representation. Implications for practice and/or policy: Beginners should be supported with a graphic when solving equations.Experts should be challenged with a combination of symbolic representations to benefit the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the perceptions and experiences of a teacher and students in a Shanghai public primary school when digital games were used in a second‐grade math class. The participants included one teacher and 45 students. Data collection methods included classroom observation, focus‐group and individual interviews, and document analysis. Digital gameplay, when used once daily over a 6‐day period, was found to enhance student engagement and interest in learning; many students, however, were concerned about its effect on academic achievement and eyesight. The teacher employed a "making thinking visible" approach using pencil and paper and problem‐solving strategies to help students understand the game's mathematical principles and master mathematical knowledge. Obstacles included large class size, difficulty evaluating learning outcomes, balancing fun and learning, and effective game–classroom integration. This study found that exam‐oriented education and traditional teacher‐centred teaching in China influenced participants' perceptions and experiences of digital game‐based learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Digital game‐based learning is effective and leads to a more relaxed learning environment that promotes students' engagement, interest, motivation, and confidence.Learning with digital games helps students acquire mathematics knowledge more effectively than traditional classroom lectures.Digital game‐based learning is helpful in math class as it makes students feel challenged and more capable, thereby improving self‐efficacy and task persistence. What this paper adds: Mathematics teachers and students have a contradictory attitude that shows both approval and concern towards game‐based learning.In the Chinese context, exam‐oriented culture is an important factor that influences the teacher's and students' perceptions and experiences of digital game‐based learning.While digital game‐based learning helps students' engagement and interest in math, it also faces numerous challenges such as large class size, balancing fun and learning, and effective game–classroom integration. Implications for practice and/or policy: Digital game‐based learning may be more effective when combined with pencil and paper to write down the process and make thinking visible.Fun and learning should be balanced in digital game‐based learning.Teachers need training and support for digital game‐centred programmes to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of mobile technologies, well‐designed fraction apps can be used to help children gain fraction knowledge, a challenging topic for both teachers and students. The present pilot study adopted a quasi‐experimental design to investigate whether children can learn fraction concepts equally well if half of the lesson time (20 min) is replaced with game‐based learning. Keeping the total lesson time (40 min) identical, the control group (N = 33) received traditional instruction, and the experimental group (N = 32) was presented with a blended learning approach spending half of the class time (20 min) playing tablet‐based fraction games, where each of the learners had their own tablet. The results suggested that in the posttest, the experimental group achieved similar learning gains to the control group and appear to have achieved better performance in the transfer test than the control group. This paper also discusses the efficiency of game‐based learning, the mechanism of how fraction games might enhance learning, and the potential of integrating game‐based learning in educational settings. Lay Description: What is already known about this topicAs a significant mathematical concept in daily life, fractions are crucial for later success in math learning.As a promising new technology, educational games show a great potential for improving learning.Well‐designed fraction apps can be used to help children gain fraction knowledge.What this paper addsGame‐based fraction learning can be combined with formal learning in school education.Game‐based fraction learning might provide a more efficient approach to increasing students' conceptual knowledge of fractions.The result showed that the experimental group achieved a similar cognitive level as the control group although they spent half of the time playing a game, suggesting that children can gain knowledge from the experiences of playing games.What are the implications for practice and/or policyThe result suggests that the proper use of educational games in teaching fractions can make learning more efficient.Further research needs to be done to determine whether the fraction understanding gained through playing these games will have an impact on students' future learning of more complicated fraction concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tingir et al. (2017) concluded from their meta‐analysis that the subject areas taught through mobile devices had significantly higher achievement scores (d = 0.48) than the ones taught with traditional teaching methods. Given the relatively high positive effect of mobile devices on student achievement, we carefully analysed the selected research in this meta‐analysis. We reviewed Tingir et al.'s (2017) meta‐analysis based on analysis of the methodology of the selected research, while drawing on the work of Slavin (2003), Cheung and Slavin (2016), and Sung et al. (2019). Twelve of the 14 (86%) studies included in the meta‐analysis done by Tingir and his team (2017) present such major methodological flaws that they should not have been included. Our analysis leads us to believe that the conclusion of Tingir et al. (2017) is not justified. It is recognized that duration of experiment is negatively correlated with effect size: the shorter the duration, the higher the effect (Burston, 2015; Slavin & Lake, 2009). Although demanding more effort, the field of education must raise the bar if it is to have knowledge of acceptable value. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Tingir et al. (2017) concluded from their meta‐analysis that: "the subject areas taught through mobile devices had significantly higher achievement scores than the ones taught with traditional teaching methods" (p. 366). What this paper adds?: We therefore reviewed the meta‐analysis by Tingir et al. (2017) and the underlying research. Our analysis leads us to believe that the conclusion of Tingir et al. (2017) is not justified.The data on reading used in the meta‐analysis by Tingir et al. (2017) do not make it possible to calculate a legitimate effect size for reading or to make a judgment about the effectiveness of mobile devices in the classroom.With respect to mathematics, the weakness and biases of the studies selected in the meta‐analysis by Tingir et al. (2017) should not have allowed them to calculate an effect size and do not provide a clear answer on the effectiveness of mobiles devices in the classroom.The studies in science selected by Tingir et al. (2017) demonstrate a set of methodological flaws that cannot provide a sound basis for determining a convincing effect of mobile device in the classroom on student achievement. Implications for practice and/or policy: Tingir and associates (2017) calculated an overall mean effect of 0.48 for mobiles devices on student achievement by combining research in reading (effect = 0.666; N = 3), mathematics (effect = 0.16; N = 3) and science (effect = 0.528; N = 8). The authors did not do a school‐level analysis (elementary, high school) in their school subject groupings due to the small number of studies, particularly in reading and mathematics.Twelve of the 14 (86%) studies included in the meta‐analysis done by Tingir and his team (2017) present such major methodological flaws that they should not have been included. As mentioned in the introduction, Slavin and his colleagues found different results in a related field. Slavin et al. (2009) found an effect size of 0.11 for the use of technology in the classroom, in computer‐assisted and computer‐based instruction, and an effect size of 0.05 for the use of digital tools 10 years later (Slavin, 2019). Given all the above, it is our opinion that the meta‐analysis by Tingir et al. (2017) cannot be used to justify the use of mobile devices in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Motivation is an important factor in the learning process and supporting students' motivation in mathematics is a significant challenge for educators. Educational technologies, such as digital games, offer potential for engagement in mathematics learning activities. Objectives: To contrast the general decrement in student motivation in mathematics, a multilevel meta‐analysis was carried out to synthesize the results of studies concerning the impact of digital games on K‐12 student motivation in mathematics. Methods: Standardized measure of effect size (dppc2) for pre‐ post‐control group designs was used, and different sources of dependency among the effects were taken into account. Moreover, through meta‐regressions, we examined whether specific characteristics of the participants, interventions and outcomes were associated with effect size differences throughout the studies. Results and Conclusions: A total of 20 primary studies (43 effect sizes) meeting eligibility criteria was included. Results showed a significant overall effect (dppc2 = 0.27; 95%CI = [0.14; 0.41]) and a great heterogeneity between studies. Moderator analyses showed differences in effect size associated to the duration of intervention and motivational construct in terms of expectancy and value. Implications: Overall, the findings indicate that digital games are effective tools compared to conventional teaching practices. The results are promising and could be useful for the design of digital educational interventions aimed at promoting motivation in mathematics. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Motivation in term of expectancy and value is an important factor in the learning process.Digital games influence student motivation to learn in K‐12 education.Concerning mathematics, previous meta‐analyses studied the effects of digital games on math achievement but not on motivation. What this paper adds: This meta‐analysis synthesizes the impact of digital games on motivation in mathematics.The targeted learner audience is K‐12 students.Results show a significant overall effect of digital games on motivation and a great heterogeneity.The effect is greater if motivation is measured in terms of expectancy than of value.The duration of intervention moderates the effect: short interventions have the highest effects. Implications for practice and/or policy: Digital games promote motivation in mathematics for K‐12 students compared to conventional teaching practices.Engaging and innovative educational activities, such as digital games, might contrast the worldwide decline of enrolments in the STEM field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the recent pivot to online instruction and/or to mixed online/face‐to‐face (i.e., hybrid) models of teaching necessitated by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the uses of technology to support instruction would seem to have great importance. Whereas effective integration of technology in mathematics classrooms requires recognition of students' needs and instructional goals that technology could fulfill, very few comprehensive meta‐analytical studies have focused on the roles of instructional technology in support of specific learning goals. Objectives: In this meta‐analysis, we investigated and reviewed the roles and affordances of technology in mathematics instruction and its effects on students' mathematics achievement. Methods: Cross‐searching multiple bibliographic databases generated a total of 3276 potentially relevant full‐text studies. After applying a series of inclusion/exclusion criteria, we kept 77 studies with 151 effect sizes. Two researchers then coded for seven sets of study features and student characteristics: technology roles, publication‐related features (years and resources), research design, sample size, grade levels, duration of interventions, and types of the testing instruments. The coding achieved acceptable levels of inter‐rater reliabilities. Since effect sizes varied across studies and student populations, random‐effects models were used for overall effect estimates and moderator analyses. Results and conclusions: Overall, this meta‐analysis revealed a small, positive, and statistically significant effect of technology on students' mathematics achievement with an average Hedges' s g (ḡ) of 0.23. The largest significant moderator effects were found when technology was used to design and support collaborative and communicative environments (ḡ = 0.49); the next‐largest moderator effects were found when using technology as supports for problem‐solving (ḡ = 0.39), followed by the roles of as supports for conceptual development (ḡ = 0.31) and as adaptive mathematics practices (ḡ = 0.28). This study also found that the effects of technology were differentiated as a function of publication resources, research design, duration of intervention, and the testing instrument. Major takeaways: Focusing on the roles and functions of technology, this study can contribute to guide potential synthetical studies as well as the future design of educational technology. In particular, technology is used effectively when it is used (a) to create and design a collaborative and communicative learning environment where students have chances to collaborate and interact with each other and (b) as supports for mathematics problem‐solving and for mathematics conceptual development. On the other hand, technology is less effective when it is used for monitoring and assessing students' learning processes without follow‐up instructions. The findings suggested that technology intervention lasting for a shorter time is the better choice. When technology is used for longer periods of instruction, maintaining its novelty and students' curiosity should be considered. This study also suggested that incorporating computer‐adaptive testing in technology‐based intervention programs is more likely to detect technology effects as adaptive testing could continuously adjust to the abilities of individual students. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Technology is now widely used in mathematics classrooms for aiding teachers' instruction.The affordances and functions of technology and its alignment with instructional goals are the key to effectively integrate technology in mathematics classrooms. What this paper adds?: Our study contributes to a comprehensive and systematic taxonomical framework of technology roles, which integrated previous multiple theoretical perspectives, thus, this framework can reflect the complexity and the dynamic nature of technology integration in present‐day mathematics classroomsOur framework based on the roles and functions of technology has been shown to be useful to guide synthetical studies. Implications for practice and/or policy: Teachers might consider using technology to support collaborative learning in their mathematics classrooms in order to enhance their students' mathematics learning.Software developers and researchers also should place more efforts in designing interactive technology learning environments or systems where students can work together and learn from each other.Program implementors should consider incorporating adaptive testing in technology when testing students' learning outcomes from technology‐based intervention programs so that students' authentic learning performance and levels are measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mobile learning studies often focus on teachers' perspectives. This study instead considers students' experiences of learning with mobile devices (i.e., m‐learning) in secondary school mathematics and science. Objectives: The research aims to describe the m‐learning experiences of secondary mathematics and science students, and to determine the extent to which distinctive pedagogical dimensions impact students' perceived learning. Methods: A survey instrument using the iPAC mobile pedagogical framework as a theoretical lens is developed and validated. This framework highlights three pedagogical dimensions: personalization, authenticity, and collaboration. Structural equation modelling is used to investigate how each dimension predicts students' perceived improvement in learning, whilst accounting for usage context, among a sample of students in schools where mobile devices are used extensively. Results and Conclusions: Students were in agreement that personalization was a characteristic of their m‐learning experiences, but authentic and collaborative learning were not as strongly featured. M‐learning activities fostering personalization were most important for improving perceived learning; authenticity and collaboration were also significant, but no differences in perceived learning improvement due to location were found. Authentic m‐learning and perceived improvement in learning with mobile devices were significantly higher in science than mathematics subjects. Implications: When teachers design m‐learning tasks that enhance personalization, collaboration, and authenticity, students are predicted to perceive improvements in their learning. The findings suggest that teachers should consider designing technology‐enhanced tasks that improve students' experiences of collaborative and authentic learning, particularly in mathematics for greatest gains in students' perceived improvement in learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic:Mobile learning studies often focus on teachers' perspectives and practices or expert commentaries.Issues of usability, access, engagement, motivation, and potential risk are often highlighted rather than pedagogical factors.Mobile technologies provide students with opportunities for more personalized and autonomous seamless experiences across learning contexts.Science teachers frequently use authentic and project‐based m‐learning opportunities, whilst mathematics teachers prefer didactic, drill and practice approaches.What this paper adds:This study focuses on students' m‐learning in secondary mathematics and science.A multi‐item scale considering aspects of authenticity, personalization, collaboration and context is developed and validated.Personalization in m‐learning activities are most important for perceived learning, followed by authenticity and collaboration.Science students report greater authenticity and perceived learning in m‐learning than mathematics students.Implications for practice and/or policy:Highlighting the student perspective is a valued lens to evaluate m‐learning pedagogy and outcomes in student learning.Efforts should be made to develop mobile pedagogies, particularly with respect to authenticity and collaboration.Teachers in mathematics would benefit most from examining practices that improve authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the golden rules in instructional design methods is to optimize the use of working memory capacity and avoid cognitive overload. The study of cognitive load has historically relied on one's introspection. However, it is difficult to capture changes in cognitive load levels during learning sensitively. This paper suggests an approach to investigating dynamic changes in cognitive load by using a pupillometry. With the method, this study explores the effects of learners' prior knowledge and task complexity on cognitive load. An experiment was conducted on two groups of students (N = 19) with distinct levels of prior knowledge. In the experimental session, participants watched a video lecture on a mathematics proposition, while being eye‐tracked. The lecture consists of sections, which can be either a high task complexity or a low task complexity based on elements they have. Pupil dilations acquired in each section were used to explore the time course of cognitive load. To formulate cognitive load patterns, a time‐series clustering was used. The research conducted a chi‐square analysis to test differences in cognitive load patterns by prior knowledge and task complexity. Results show that pupil dilation patterns can be applied to monitor changes in cognitive load during learning. What is already known about this topic? Cognitive load is a dynamic construct so that it can be changed during learning.Pupil dilation is a valid indicator of showing changes in cognitive load during learning. What this paper adds? The study proposes a novel method to capture dynamic changes in cognitive load in video‐based learning by using a time‐series clustering.The proposed approach detected the changes in cognitive load as a function of learner's level of prior knowledge and task complexity in learning.The proposed approach found seven different types of cognitive load patterns during learning. Implications for practice and/or policy: The use of temporal approach can be a technique to capture dynamics of cognitive load learners are experiencing during learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With facilitation of advanced technologies, design and application of smart become promising research issues in education. Although it is potential for students to learn geometric in authentic contexts, there were still lack of studies addressing smart learning issue in authentic context for geometry. This study aim to propose an app, called SmartUG, to support students smartly to consolidate geometry understanding and learning through enriching experience of exploring and applying related geometry surrounding. There were four smart mechanisms proposed in SmartUG (direction guidance, learning progress, object recognition and answer feedback) to guide students' measuring and applying geometry smartly and meaningfully in authentic contexts. A total of 83 fifth‐grade students participated in this experiment and were divided into three groups, an experimental group that learned with smart mechanisms, a control group that learned without smart mechanisms and a traditional control group that learning with traditional teaching approach. Basically, experimental group outperformed control group and traditional teaching group in term of geometry ability and estimation ability, which means students benefited from proposed SmartUG. Moreover, students showed positive attitude and high intention to use toward SmartUG. Students should be provided more chances to learn geometry smartly in authentic contexts with SmartUG. It is potential to future studies to implement more smart mechanisms to support students learning in authentic contexts. Moreover, the learning system can get smarter and smarter when the learning system gets more and more input data from students' use. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Geometry is important and strongly related to our surroundings.Students have few chances to learn Geometry through practicing in authentic contexts.Innovative technologies are potential to be utilized to facilitate smart learning. What this paper adds: Proposed a framework of smart mechanisms to support learning Geometry in authentic context.Utilized innovative technologies to facilitate smart learning in authentic context. Implications for practice and/or policy: Smart learning in authentic context helped improving students' motivation and achievements.The proposed smart mechanisms are effective to support smart learning.The smart mechanisms can be implemented not only for Geometry but also other subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using dynamic geometry software (GeoGebra) on the eighth‐grade students' conceptual understanding and the retention of learning regarding linear equations and slope. In this study, a quasi‐experimental design with pre‐test, post‐test and delayed post‐test was employed. This study was conducted with 52 eighth‐grade Turkish students (experimental group, n = 25; control group, n = 27). While GeoGebra software‐supported instruction was carried out in the experimental group, textbook‐based direct instruction was continued in the control group. Data were collected with the conceptual understanding test (CUT) which consists of 38 questions including open‐ended, multiple choice and fill in the blanks. CUT was applied to the experimental and control groups as a pre‐test and post‐test at both the beginning and the end of the instruction, respectively. Seven weeks after the instruction, CUT was applied to both groups as a retention test. Data were analysed through SPSS 17.0 statistical software by using a t‐test and ANCOVA test. It was indicated in the study results that GeoGebra software‐supported instruction for eighth‐grade students regarding linear equations and slope did significantly improve both their conceptual understanding and retention of learning in comparison to textbook‐based direct instruction. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: The subject of functions and their graphs are the basis of many mathematical concepts and subjects such as logarithm, limit, derivative and integral.It is indicated in many studies that middle‐grade students have some misconceptions and difficulties in learning the concept of a straight line and slope.It was determined in previous studies conducted at different grade level that using dynamic geometry software (DGS) increases students' mathematics achievement according to traditional instruction.There is a need for research investigating the effect of using GeoGebra software on eighth grade students' conceptual understanding and retention of learning regarding linear equations and slope. What this paper adds?: A quasi‐experimental design with pre‐test, post‐test and delayed post‐test was conducted.Using GeoGebra software had positive effects on eighth‐grade students' conceptual understanding regarding linear equations and slope.The learning environment with GeoGebra software increased the retention of learning. The implications of study findings for practitioners: This research provided evidence regarding the effects of using GeoGebra software on eighth‐grade students' conceptual understanding and retention of learning in mathematics.In future studies, the long‐term effects of GeoGebra on other mathematics topics and other learning outcomes within similar settings should be examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the technological improvements of innovative portable recording gadgets, augmented researchers' interest in exploring students' visual attention in their natural and normal occurring classrooms. The purpose of this study was to gauge students' visual attention in their Mathematics and English classrooms. This article reports on a study conducted in three schools in Santiago, Chile, where a sample of 113 randomly selected students wore a mini‐video camera mounted on eyeglass in their Mathematics and English lessons. Using Google images, we automatically and objectively examined 723,600 frames from the recordings where the classroom teacher appeared in the students' visual field. The results show that students' visual attention varies depending on four factors: (a) gender of the student, (b) age of the students, whether students are low/high attainers and (d) whether students are in English or Mathematics lessons. Surprisingly, students significantly paid more visual attention in their Mathematics than in English lessons. High attainers were more visually engaged than their low attainers counterparts. Students appeared to be visually engaged differently at different stages in their education. Furthermore, girls were more visually engaged than boys. The results of this study can have enormous practical implications for teachers and teacher education, in order to be better visually engaged with students during teaching. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The advantage of computers and technologies as tools in analysing teaching and learning.Measuring students' visual attention to teachers in different subject disciplines.Using first person's perspective (students' perspectives) in analysing classroom interaction. What this paper adds: Measuring students' visual attention to teachers in Mathematics and English classrooms using 723,600 frames.Students are more visually engaged to teachers in Mathematics versus English classrooms.Higher grade point average students are more visually engaged to teachers than their lower GPA counterparts.Female students significantly pay more visual attention to their teachers than their male peers.Students' visual attention to teachers is dependent on the year of study. Implications for practice and/or policy: Identifying students with lack of visual attention to the teacher objectively and automatically.Practical implications for teacher education courses, and also continuing Professional Development courses for in‐service teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated changes in learners' motivation, engagement, performance, and spatial reasoning over time and across different levels of virtual reality (VR) immersion. Undergraduate participants explored a virtual solar system via a moderately immersive or highly immersive VR platform over three sessions. In a third condition, participants initially learned with moderate immersion and transitioned to higher immersion after the second session. Following research on novelty effects, we explored whether subjective experiences and performance would decline over time (e.g., decreasing motivation or performance) as participants became familiar with the virtual environment and tools. However, we hypothesized that transitional immersion (i.e., switching from moderate to higher immersion) might lead to a renewed sense of novelty. Results suggested that both moderate and higher levels of immersion were motivating, engaging, and supportive of learning. In contrast to predictions based on novelty effects, these outcomes did not decline overall as learners gained familiarity with the systems. However, transitional immersion emerged as a promising and testable pedagogical approach for future VR education. All participants also showed gains in spatial reasoning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Virtual reality can support motivation and learning in STEM education.Novelty may elicit motivation, engagement and learning.Virtual reality may benefit development of spatial reasoning skills. What this paper adds?: Motivation, engagement and performance persist across multiple sessions of VR learning.Switching from moderate to higher immersion increases motivation and engagement.Both moderate and higher immersion support improvements in spatial reasoning. Implications for practice and/or policy: Novelty effects are not a significant concern when implementing VR education over multiple sessions.More immersive VR tools may be progressively introduced during learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply Carroll's model of school learning, which theorizes about the relationship between time and learning, to motivate the design of a large, first‐year, university mathematics course, where students have the choice to attend lectures and/or watch online videos. The theoretical model informs how the course and resources are designed in order to assist students to spend the time they need to master a task in an efficient manner. We examine the relationship between learning and time spent on lectures and/or videos, by analysing data collected on lecture attendance, videos accessed, and mathematical achievement, prior to, and at the end of, the course. Findings show that students use videos as either a complement to, or substitute for, the lecture, and time spent using either or both resources has a significant impact on learning. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: It is quite common for universities to make online lectures available as an additional resource to students enrolled to face‐to‐face courses.Students exhibit satisfaction with these online resources and use them to replace or review the live lecture and/or revise for examinations.Results on the impact of the availability of online lectures on performance are mixed.Most studies in the area consider online lecture resources that are in a one‐to‐one correspondence with the live lecture. What this paper adds: This paper uses a theoretical model of time and learning to present a rationale for the design of a university mathematics course where students can attend lectures and/or watch short videos.As design course intends, findings show that students use videos as either a complement to, or substitute for, lectures.Time needed to master course learning outcomes depends on student's prior mathematical achievement.Empirical findings show that time spent using either, or both, resources has a significant impact on learning. Implications of study findings for practitioners: This study provides a detailed description of a course designed explicitly to enable students to use videos and lectures in a complementary/substitutable manner.Students with low prior achievement, who require more time to mastery, should be advised on how to use videos as complements to lectures in order to scaffold how they spend this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a computer‐assisted system with a design based on Polya's problem‐solving model. The system is designed to help average and low‐achieving second graders in mathematics with word‐based addition and subtraction questions. The emphasis of using the specific model was on dividing the problem‐solving procedure into stages and the concentration on the stages that are problematic for students. Specifically, we compared mathematical word problem‐solving performance and computational skills of students who utilized the computer‐assisted system with students who employed general strategy instruction. Participants consisted of 52 second‐grade students randomly assigned to treatment conditions. Students were pretested and posttested with mathematical problem‐solving and computation tests, and repeated measures of their progress with respect to word problem solving were registered. The results showed there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of the word problem‐solving progress measure, favouring the experimental group. This confirms that providing students with a computer‐assisted system offered the opportunity to explore all stages of the problem‐solving procedure as one possible way to enhance their problem‐solving skills. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter Problem‐based learning is recognized as an instruction method that positively influence learning outcomes along with higher order thinking skills.The use of computers to implement findings from qualitative research related to problem‐solving teaching strategies can develop reasoning skills in mathematics and problem solving of elementary students with learning difficulties in mathematics.Polya's model helps students to solve mathematical word‐based problems. What the paper adds to this subject This paper suggests that efforts to improve word problem solving should focus on episodes students neglect when solving problems.This study proposes a computer‐assisted system with a design based on Polya's problem‐solving model.This empirical study investigates whether providing students with computer‐based assistance at each stage of the problem‐solving process helps students to overcome their difficulties.This study explores whether students fail to solve the problem because they do not understand the specific relations among the three problem quantities, or in choosing a correct solution strategy, or in carrying out the solution strategy correctly. The implications of study findings for practitioners Combining Polya's model with computer assistance at each solving procedure stage enhances student's capabilities to solve mathematical word‐based problems.Students encountered problems when reviewing their solutions; this signifying that students did not recognize the variants of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning and teaching algebra concepts are frequent problems for both students and teachers alike. Students struggle to learn algebra, and teachers struggle to identify the best way to teach algebra. It is recurrent that teachers use instructional methods that promote memorization, and, consequently, the learning process may prove unsatisfactory. This paper introduces Virtual Algebra Tiles, an open educational resource whose purpose is to enable students to use algebra tiles from a computer to enhance their knowledge of algebra concepts. To evaluate the effectiveness of the system, we designed a case study. The participants were 40 students of engineering degrees who were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. Results indicate that the system has a large effect size (ES = 0.83, p < 0.001) on learning effectiveness and a promising long‐term knowledge retention (ES = 0.79, p < 0.001). Students concluded that this version of algebra tiles is more motivating than other versions, because it is presented in a format that stands natural to them. Students feel more comfortable in virtual environments, and therefore, the learning process becomes a more pleasant task. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Inadequate teaching methodologies can lead to student failure.It is necessary to decrease the emphasis on memorization and to favour active learning techniques.The use of mathematical manipulatives increases students' learning gains.Algebra tiles are an educational resource that helps students understand algebra concepts by using geometric figures. What this paper adds: Virtual Algebra Tiles is a multimedia version of the educational resource algebra tiles.Virtual Algebra Tiles has a large effect size on students' learning achievements.Virtual Algebra Tiles improves students' long‐term knowledge retention. Implications for practices and/or policy: Teachers should participate in the development of digital pedagogical material to enrich their lectures.It is necessary to develop more open educational resources, which can be accessed by students and teachers.Digital educational resources must take into account the special needs of particular users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The long‐standing debate into the potential benefit of developing mathematical thinking skills through learning to program has been reignited with the widespread introduction of programming in schools across many countries, including England where it is a statutory requirement for all pupils to be taught programming from 5 years old. Algorithm is introduced early in the English computing curriculum, yet there is limited knowledge of how young pupils view this concept. This paper explores pupils' (aged 10–11) understandings of algorithm following their engagement with 1 year of ScratchMaths, a curriculum designed to develop computational and mathematical thinking skills through learning to program. A total of 181 pupils from 6 schools undertook a set of written tasks to assess their interpretations and evaluations of different algorithms that solve the same problem, with a subset of these pupils subsequently interviewed to probe their understandings in greater depth. We discuss the different approaches identified, the evaluation criteria they used, and the aspects of the concept that pupils found intuitive or challenging, such as simplification and abstraction. The paper ends with some reflections on the implications of the research, concluding with a set of recommendations for pedagogy in developing primary pupils' algorithmic thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on an examination of how type, quality and children's awareness of design features in digital math games, along with an awareness of the mathematics goals of the game, were related to learning outcomes. We conducted a parallel conversion mixed methods study with 45 students in Grades 3 and 4 (ages 9–10). Students participated in clinical interviews using three digital math games. The results suggest a moderated mediation relationship in which the quality of the design features moderated the mediating impact of children's awareness of the game's design features, specifically when the child was aware of the mathematics content learning goal (MCLG) of the game. These findings show how important it is that design features are of high quality in a digital math game, and how this is intertwined with children's awareness of the features and the MCLG. When these variables intertwined in just the right way, the interactions between the children and the digital math game afforded mathematical learning growth. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Some game features, and the types of representations designed into the games, may have a greater impact than others.Some design features provide general learning support, and some provide specific mathematics support.There is a relationship between the subject (i.e., a child), the artefact (i.e., a digital math game) and the object (i.e., the mathematics).Understanding that relationship is complex because there are no clear‐cut variables that can be isolated; rather, these variables need to be considered together. What our paper adds to this subject matter: Seven classifications of design feature types were coded in digital math games.Children's awareness of the mathematics content learning goal (MCLG) matters in conjunction with their awareness of the design features.High‐quality features, that are directly related to the MCLG, matter.The complex variable interactions help explain children's learning outcomes. Implications of study findings for practitioners: Even if a child had an awareness of the MCLG and high feature awareness, if the movements (either physically or mentally) associated with those features were of low‐quality with respect to the MCLG, this did not afford growth.Understanding these relationships can help practitioners select high‐quality digital math games for children's use in both classroom settings and at home.Understanding these relationships can also help game designers create more high‐quality digital math games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While response time and accuracy indicate overall performance, their value in uncovering cognitive processes, underlying learning, is limited. A promising online measure, designed to track decision‐making, is computer mouse tracking, where mouse attraction towards different locations may reflect the consideration of alternative response options. Using a speedy arithmetic multiple‐choice game in an online adaptive learning environment, we examined whether mouse movements could reflect arithmetic difficulties when error rates are low. Results showed that mouse movements towards alternative responses in correctly answered questions mapped onto the frequency of errors made in this online learning system. This mapping was stronger for the younger children, as well as for easy arithmetic problems. On an individual level, users showed more mouse movement towards their previously made response errors than towards other alternative options. This opens the possibility of adapting feedback and instruction on an individual basis through mouse tracking. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic: In online learning environments, detecting systematic difficulties for students during learning is challenging due to the required high success rate.Previous studies have found that computer mouse tracking offers a window into the cognitive process of considering multiple alternatives before deciding.What is lacking is a validation outside the lab, whether mouse tracking can be a source for detecting systematic difficulties students might have. What the paper adds to this: Mouse tracking was implemented outside the lab in a large‐scale online learning environment for primary school children practicing maths.Novel mouse metrics were developed to measure attraction towards multiple distractors instead of one.Findings show that mouse movements reveal cues to arithmetic difficulties without the need for errors. Implications of the study findings: Mouse tracking is a useful tool to investigate difficulties in the learning process in a motivating practice system.Diagnosing these arithmetic misconceptions for individuals can help to adapt feedback and instruction.The developed mouse method can be used for more daily‐life complex designs with multiple attractors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overarching goal of this research project is to develop a set of theoretical and empirical based design principles to support student engagement in flipped mathematics learning. We used a design‐based research approach in which a series of studies was conducted in a secondary school. First, an analysis of practical problems was performed via exploratory studies (Studies 1A and 1B), randomized experiments (Studies 2A and 2B), and a literature review (Study 3). Second, a basic flipped lesson prototype was developed based on our empirical findings and relevant theoretical work of student engagement and self‐determination theory. Third, we refined and evaluated our practice with two empirical studies (Studies 4 and 5). Finally, we reflected on each stage of our research project to produce a set of design principles for future practice. This study thus contributes to our knowledge of methods to support student engagement in flipped mathematics learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Flipped learning can increase student achievement in mathematics education.After flipping, studies reported non‐significant or even negative results in terms of student engagement.Little work has been done to support student engagement in flipped learning. What this paper adds: This study investigated methods to support student engagement in flipped mathematics learning.A 2‐year design‐based research was conducted consisting of a series of five studies.Theoretical work of student engagement and self‐determination theory were drawn. Implications for practice and/or policy: The use of group competitions increased student engagement in flipped mathematics learning.Peer interaction inside the classroom fostered students' cognitive engagement.Design principles are proposed to support student engagement in future practice.The principles cover five major instructional activities of flipped learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of E‐learning (EL), blended learning (BL) and flipped learning (FL) approaches on the mathematics achievement, self‐regulation and mathematics self‐efficacy. Participants consist of 163 first‐year students attending an associate degree program (a 2‐year program) of a state university. The EL, BL and FL settings in the research were designed based on Merrill's 'First Principles of Instruction Design Theory'. In the research in which a quasi‐experimental pre‐test–post‐test research design was used, the data were obtained by means of mathematics achievement test, self‐regulation and self‐efficacy questionnaires. The experimental results showed that the mathematics achievement post‐test scores of FL students were significantly higher than those of the students of EL and BL. No significant difference was found between BL and EL settings. In addition, FL students showed significantly higher self‐regulation and mathematics self‐efficacy than the other groups' students. According to these results, it can be said that the usage of FL approach in mathematics courses has a positive effect on the learning process of students. It is expected that the findings will be helpful in the future design and implementation of mathematics courses at vocational colleges. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: The flipped learning approach has the potential to develop mathematics teachingThe ability of student's own learning regulation becomes one of the key concepts of flipped learning setting.Little is known about the design and implementation of flipped learning settings in mathematics courses. What this paper adds: This study investigates the effect of E‐Learning (EL), Blended Learning (BL) and Flipped Learning (FL) approaches on the mathematics achievement, self‐regulation and mathematics self‐efficacy.The EL, BL and FL settings in the research were designed based on Merrill's 'First Principles of Instruction Design Theory'.The usage of FL approach, developed in line with Merrill's First Principles of Instruction design theory, improves the mathematics achievement, self‐regulation and mathematics self‐efficacy levels of students. Implications for practice and/or policy: This research provided evidences for effects of Merrill's "First Principles of Instruction Design Theory" on online learners.The FL approach, developed in line with Merrill's First Principles of Instruction design theory, may serve as a reference for improving students' learning performance.It is expected that the findings will be helpful in the future design and implementation of mathematics courses at vocational colleges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When solving a mathematical problem, students who do not have sufficient conceptual understanding may perform poorly and exhibit misconceptions. This study was aimed to examine students' conceptual understanding and significant misconceptions when solving number sense‐related problems. An online three‐tier diagnostic test was administered to 125 fifth‐grade students with varied socio‐economic backgrounds in Hong Kong. Only 14.40% of the students exhibited high performance with high confidence, indicating that these students had a profound conceptual understanding of number sense. In addition, the majority of the students (66.40%) did not demonstrate number sense; these students exhibited several significant misconceptions and could solve the questions only by using a rule‐based method or guessing. Accordingly, most students performed unsatisfactorily on number sense‐related problems. This study is imperative in identifying early predictors and provides information for further compatible interventions in the teaching and learning of number sense in Hong Kong in particular and worldwide in general. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Students must be instilled with conceptual understanding to achieve mastery of mathematical understanding and be able to properly solve complex or novel problems.Students would likely exhibit misconceptions if they do not have sufficient conceptual understanding.Students' conceptual understanding can be examined by evaluating their confidence levels in solving a problem. What this paper adds: A three‐tier diagnostic test (question and answer, reasoning, and confidence) can be used to examine students' conceptual understanding.Students performed unsatisfactorily on number sense because they lack conceptual understanding of topics related to number sense.Students held significant misconceptions on understanding the basic meaning of numbers and operations, recognizing the number size, using multiple representations of numbers and operation, recognizing the relative effect of operations on numbers, and judging the reasonableness of a computational result. Implications for practice and/or policy: Conceptual understanding of related topics reflecting number sense should be prioritized over procedural knowledge and mathematical rules.Lack of conceptual understanding of relevant topics and relying on mathematical rules and formulas are the main root causes of students' unsatisfactory performance.The deliberate use of estimation questions, multiple presentations, and judging the reasonableness of a result can help learners develop their conceptual understanding of number sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the use of technology in the K12 classroom has been shown to have a positive impact, research on the use of open education resources (OER) is relatively limited, especially research focusing on low‐achieving students. The present study examines the relationship between usage of Algebra Nation, a self‐guided system that provided instructional videos and practice problems, and the performance of students who had failed the state‐administered Algebra I end‐of‐course (EOC) assessment the previous year. Indicators of usage of Algebra Nation consisted of logins, video views, and practice questions answered. Path analyses and logistic regressions were used to evaluate relationships between usage indicators and algebra scores, controlling for number of absences, free/reduced lunch eligibility, Hispanic/Latino origin, race, and gender. The results indicate that higher levels of logins, video views, and practice questions answered were related to higher scores when the students re‐took the assessment. Logins and practice questions were also related to increases in odds of passing the Algebra I EOC assessment, but not video views. The results suggest that there may be benefits to technology use in the form of an OER adopted by students and teachers on an informal basis and link self‐regulated learning strategies to student achievement. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Algebra courses typically have a high failure rate.Repeating algebra is costly for the education system and for the student.Open education resources could potentially be an effective and cost‐efficient approach to algebra instruction. What this paper adds: This study shows that logins, video views, and practice questions answered in an open education resource were positively related to scores on a state‐administered,high‐stakes algebra assessment.The study indicates that the relationship between a self‐regulated learning strategy (i.e., practice questions answered) and student algebra scores is stronger than that between video views and algebra scores.This study shows that student‐driven ad hoc use of online tutoring programme is associated with higher passing rates on the algebra exam. Implications for practice and/or policy: This study demonstrates that informal use of an open education resource with videos and a practice question system can be effective in increasing student scores on algebra assessments.Future research is needed to connect diverse types of student self‐regulated use of open education resources to academic achievement and on how to design resources that encourage effective self‐regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta‐analysis investigated the effects of learning video games on mathematics achievement of PreK‐12th‐grade students compared with traditional classroom instructional methods. Results from the 24 collected studies showed heterogeneity among effect sizes, both in magnitude and direction. Using a random effects model, a small but marginally significant overall effect (d¯RE=0.13,p=.02) suggested that mathematics video games contributed to higher learning gains as compared with traditional instructional methods. In addition, moderator analyses were mixed in terms of statistical significance and explored effect‐size heterogeneity across effects using grade level, instrument type, length of game‐based intervention, country, publication type, and study year characteristics. Overall findings indicate that video games are a slightly effective instructional strategy for teaching mathematics across PreK‐12th‐grade levels. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Math video games are gaining increased popularity in the classroom.Research on the effectiveness of math video games in PreK‐12 education is inconsistent.More empirical studies on math video games are needed. What this paper adds: This meta‐analysis focused on math video games versus traditional classroom instruction.The targeted learner audience was PreK‐12 students.The target learning outcome was mathematics achievement.Results indicate that video games contribute to higher learning gains compared with traditional instruction.Publication year and type influenced the strength of the video‐gaming intervention effect. Implications for practice and/or policy: Video games are an effective instructional strategy for teaching mathematics across PreK‐12th grades.Having more teaching instruction/intervention that includes video games might increase students' math achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A promising method to support game‐based learning is to facilitate learners' externalization of cognitive and metacognitive processes. Externalizing Problem Representation (EPR) refers to a cognitive behaviour in which a learner constructs her own representations overtly. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether learning supports promoting EPR enhance qualitative understanding and quantitative proficiency in ratios and proportional relationships in a learning game (i.e., E‐Rebuild) context. Specifically, this study investigated the effects of representation format in problem representation on qualitative understanding and quantitative proficiency in a learning game context. The results of this study indicate that (a) symbolic learning supports better facilitate comprehension of math concepts and their relations than iconic learning supports in video game contexts, (b) symbolic learning supports better facilitate players' reflection for implicit understanding and promote their math problem‐solving skills, (c) participants in the symbolic learning support group increased significantly in qualitative understanding but not in quantitative proficiency after gameplay, and (d) participants in the iconic learning support group experienced significant growth in quantitative proficiency but not in qualitative understanding after gameplay. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Video games potentially facilitate implicit qualitative understanding more than quantitative knowledge test performance.Educational game designers lack a good understanding of the design and development of effective learning supports in educational games. What this paper adds: Symbolic learning supports for problem representation better facilitate comprehension of math concepts and their relations than iconic learning supports in video game contexts.Participants experienced significant growth in quantitative proficiency after they processed the iconic in‐game learning supports in game‐based math tasks.Participants' qualitative understanding in the symbolic learning support group increased significantly after playing E‐Rebuild‐based math game task. Implications for practice and/or policy: This study informs scholars and designers of game‐based learning about designing learning support and its properties in video game contexts: Learning support design to promote math problem representation across problem translation and problem integration.This study provides design principles for learning supports in math learning game; symbolic learning supports facilitate qualitative understanding whereas iconic learning supports facilitate quantitative proficiency in math learning game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the best approach to educating students is, evidently, the pivotal question in educational research. In the general debate on this question, clear positions are often taken―for example, whether teacher‐led instruction or more student‐directed approaches should be followed. In the current narrative review, this central question and the different stances taken are explored for a specific field of learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) domains. The current article starts with an argument as to why the traditional, more directive teacher‐led educational approach to STEM learning may not always lead to deep conceptual knowledge and proposes exploring more engaged forms of learning. More specifically, a particular arrangement for engaged learning, inquiry learning, is taken as an example in this exploration. It is argued that the effects of educational methods are influenced by a multitude of (interacting) factors related to student and teacher characteristics, context, domain, frequency of use, timing, and probably more. Therefore, this article tries to outline a more nuanced and balanced stance towards choosing educational approaches. A picture is presented to show that adopting and combining different approaches, at both the lesson and the curricular levels, may be necessary to reach optimal levels of learning. Existing and upcoming technologies may play a decisive role in realizing this more complex, but also more realistic view of learning in STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task solving processes and changes in these processes have long been expected to provide valuable information about children's performance in school. This article used electronic tangibles (concrete materials that can be physically manipulated) and a dynamic testing format (pretest, training, and posttest) to investigate children's task solving processes and changes in these processes as a result of training. We also evaluated the value of process information for the prediction of school results. Participants were N = 253 children with a mean age of 7.8 years. Half of them received a graduated prompts training; the other half received repeated practice only. Three process measures were used: grouping behaviour, verbalized strategies, and completion time. Different measures showed different effects of training, with verbalized strategies showing the largest difference on the posttest between trained and untrained children. Although process measures were related to performance on our dynamic task and to math and reading performance in school, the amount of help provided during training provided the most predictive value to school results. We concluded that children's task solving processes provide valuable information, but the interpretation requires more research. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Dynamic testing provides information on a child's ability to learn.Solving process information provides indications for intervention.Computerized testing can be of great help in recording process information. What this paper adds: Process‐oriented dynamic testing provides explanatory information beyond traditional tests.The use of a tangible user interface (TUI) console uncovers valuable information on solving processes.Process measures are related to series completion performance, math, and reading.Need for instruction is the best predictor of math and reading ability.Implications for practice and/or policy: A framework for interpreting process information is necessary in dynamic testing.Process‐oriented dynamic testing may be more suitable to inform education.TUIs provide a more natural testing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How computers in schools impact on children's learning has been studied through research that explores student achievement at one point in time or by comparing different classroom contexts with differing results. The introduction of an optional netbook purchasing scheme for children in a low socio‐economic community provided an opportunity to compare the academic improvement for those who joined the scheme with those who did not with both groups learning within the same context with the same teachers. Using nationally calibrated assessment tools that test reading, writing, and mathematical skill progression, the student achievement data from six schools across a 2‐year period were analysed using chi‐square testing, regression analysis, propensity score matching, and cumulative logit modelling. The results identified few significant differences between the students in most aspects of achievement and no significant difference in academic improvement between the two groups. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Whole class use of netbooks can improve achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.Children in low socio‐economic contexts have limited access to the Internet or netbooks for learning. What this paper adds to this: The use of netbooks alone has an insignificant effect on achievement in standardized assessments.Academic progress of children in the same context is similar whether using netbooks or not. Implication of study findings for practitioners: Introduction of netbook schemes should enable all students to have dedicated access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that educational robotics (ER) may impact student learning, especially in relation to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) areas. In the STEM framework, particularly for younger children, the "E" and the "T" are considered to be missing letters, because few studies have concentrated on teaching and evaluating technology and engineering through ER activities. This study aimed to develop and test the efficacy of an ER protocol to teach robotics in a sample of 389 students, hypothesizing that girls would be as successful as boys. A Robotics Questionnaire assessing the basics of robotics was developed for this study. A Wilcoxon nonparametric test was performed in order to evaluate improvements (p < 0.05). A Mann–Whitney nonparametric test was performed in order to test the presence of gender differences (p < 0.05). Data indicated significant improvements for all the age ranges considered. No gender differences were found. In order to evaluate the efficacy of a didactic intervention utilizing ER, it is important to assess the impact on children's technological and engineering (robotics, in particular) knowledge. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Studies have shown that educational robotics (ER) has a potential impact on student learning.In the STEM framework, the "E" and the "T" are considered the STEM missing letters.What this paper adds: This study aims at developing and testing the efficacy of an ER protocol to teach robotics.The hypothesis that girls will be equally successful than boys is explored too, and no gender differences were found.Implications for practice and/or policy: Our results suggest that ER can be utilized to learn robotics, bringing technology in the schools.ER could be considered as a tool able to contribute to girl's involvement in STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tablets have much to offer children with learning difficulties, but evidence of their effectiveness to teach academic skills is limited and cannot be easily separated from the quality of the software. This paper analyses data from 3 iterative cycles of designing an app for children with Down syndrome to support their awareness of quantity through an inclusive game. Research with neurotypical children suggests that representation of quantity (or magnitude) is an area with considerable potential in supporting the foundations for children's mathematical learning. It has received little attention as an aspect for intervention for children with Down syndrome. Data collected in this study illustrate the need to carefully align the game mechanic to the target skills, strengthen levels of access, and introduce gradations of attentional demand. They also signal the interrelationship between children's cognitive and affective responses to the game, making it essential to find the optimal level of challenge. Children's strategies in response to mistakes indicate the importance of creating an agile responsive system. The data also suggest that developers routinely extend the number of features that are optional, enabling a greater level of personalization and a more inclusive game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]