The document describes a project using iPads and math apps to teach addition of fractions to community college students. In part one, math faculty tested using four fraction apps with students, finding those who struggled benefited most and demonstrated a 13% improvement on fraction addition post-tests. In part two, two community college students created a custom fraction addition app under faculty supervision. Their app uses a story and game elements to teach visual representations of fraction addition. Testing of the custom app will continue to assess game-based learning effectiveness.
Red Rocks Community College MApps for teaching addition of fractions with i pads
1. M-Apps: Designing Apps
and Using iPads to Teach
Addition of Fractions
Julie Schneider
Chair & Faculty, Computer Technology
& Multimedia Department
Red Rocks Community College
Dean Barchers
Professor of Mathematics
Red Rocks Community College
2. M-Apps Road Map
• Part I (Dean)– Using Math Apps in MAT
060 to help students learn addition of
fractions
• Part II (Julie) – Using feedback from MAT
060 students, help two RRCC students
create a Math App.
3. M-Apps Road Map (Part I)
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Getting Started
Time Line
Learn about Game Based Learning
Find Apps for Addition of Fractions
Load Apps onto iPads
Give Pre Test & Survey to Students
Distribute iPads to Students
Give / Collect Post Test & Survey from Students
Analyze Data: Success?
Final Conclusions / What’s Next?
4. Getting Started
• Computer Science Department wanted to work with
the Math Department to make a Mathematics Game
Based iPad App (Application)
• Goals: (1) Use iPad game based Apps in MAT 060 to
see if they help students learn addition of fractions
better. (2) Have two RRCC students create an App
with the assistance of Julie Schneider – Chair of the
Computer Technology & Multimedia Department &
One Math Faculty, Dean Barchers.
5. Time Line
• Fall 2012 – 1 FT math faculty checks out iPads to 1
section of MAT 060 on first day of addition of fractions.
• Fall 2012 – Meet with 2 RRCC students to design App.
• Spring 2013 – 3 PT + 1 FT faculty check out iPads (total
of 4 sections MAT 060) first day of addition of fractions.
• Spring 2013 – 2 RRCC students take feedback from RRCC
students and finish the App on Addition of fractions.
• Summer/Fall 2013 – Make conclusions about
effectiveness of iPads and disseminate information.
6. Learn About Game Based Learning
• Read - Mathematics Education for a New Era: Video
Games as a Medium for Learning Keith Devlin
• If Possible avoid Apps that are only “Skill and Drill”.
• Instead, find game based apps that teach how to
understand addition fractions.
• Don’t underestimate “cool” and “fun”.
7. Learn About Game Based Learning
Many Math Apps are only “Skill and Drill”. Example:
𝟏
𝟐
+
1
4
=
𝟏
𝟐
𝟐
𝟐
+
1
4
=
𝟐
𝟒
+
1
4
=
3
4
Students can learn the above procedure and get the
right answer but have no idea what they are doing. If
student don’t understand why they are doing
something, they tend to struggle with the topic.
8. Learn About Game Based Learning
The next slide shows how with Math Apps on an
iPad students can visualize the process of
addition of fractions and understand exactly what
they are doing and why they are doing it.
12. Find Apps for Addition of Fractions
• I now know what to look for in a Math App.
• Challenge #1 – Looked through over 300 Math Apps,
Screen shots only. Very few Math Apps taught students
how to understand addition of fractions.
• Challenge #2 – “3rd Grade Math”
• Narrowed it down to 4 Math Apps (out of 300+)
13. Find Apps for Addition of Fractions
The Four Math Apps chosen were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Fractions Smart Pirate
Fractions by Brainingcamp
Math Galaxy Fractions Fun
Fractions Explained
15. Give Pre Test & Survey to Students
Sample Question on Pre/Post Test: Add.
1 2
+
4 5
Survey Questions asked students to tell us which
Math Apps they liked and why they liked them.
16. Distribute iPads to Students
• Allow Students to check out iPads and keep
them 24/7 for 3 to 6 weeks.
• What if they lose or damage iPads?
• RRCC Student User Agreement
• Challenge #4 - $700 Liability if lost or damaged
(Liability adjusted to $500 for Fall 2013)
17. Distribute iPads to Students
• 5 extra credit pts for checking out iPad & doing survey.
• Fall 2012 – About 70% of all students took an iPad in
the Full Time Math Faculty’s MAT 060 course.
• Spring 2013 – About 20% of the students took the
iPad for the Adjunct Faculty MAT 060 courses.
• Fall 2013 – About 70% of all students took an iPad in
the Adjunct Faculty’s MAT 045 course.
18. Distribute iPads to Students
• Of the students who got the addition of fractions
question correct on the Pre-Test, only about 40% of
them checked out an iPad.
• About 80% of all students who missed the addition of
fractions question on the Pre-Test checked out an iPad.
• → Conclusion: Struggling students more likely to take
iPad and get help, that is exactly what we had hoped.
19. Give / Collect Post Test & Survey
• Fall 2012
– Pre-Test on 1st day compared to high stakes Post-Test with same
(similar) questions later in semester.
– 1 MAT 060 course with iPads
– 4 MAT 060 courses without iPads (control)
• Spring 2013
– 4 MAT 060 courses with iPads
• Compare Pre-Test versus Post-Test results for iPads versus
non iPad users. Give Survey results to Julie’s team.
20. Analyze Data: Success?
Students Pre-Test Question Correct
• About 40% of all students got the Pre-Test addition of
fractions question correct. A vast majority of those students
(95%) also got it right on the Post Test.
• If a student already knows how to add fractions before using
the iPad, we can’t give the iPad credit for them adding
fractions correctly on the post test.
• → Conclusion: Focus analysis on students answered the
Pre-Test addition of fractions question incorrectly.
21. Analyze Data: Success?
Students Pre-Test Question Incorrect
• About 60% of all students got the Pre-Test addition of
fractions question incorrect.
• Do an analysis on only the set of students who missed
the Pre-Test addition of fractions question.
22. Analyze Data: Success?
Students Pre-Test Question Incorrect
• If they did not use the iPad, 72% got the Post-Test
Addition of Fractions Question correct.
• If they did use the iPad, about 85% got the Post-Test
Addition of Fractions Question correct.
• This is a 13% improvement.
23. Part I - Final Conclusions
• The students who needed the most help adding
fractions were primarily the ones who checked out the
iPads. From a limited resources point of view, this is
exactly what we wanted. We were concerned the
opposite might happen.
• If a student already knows how to add fractions on the
1st day of MAT 060, they generally speaking don’t need
any help and about 95% of them will successfully* add
fractions without the assistance of an iPad.
24. Part I - Final Conclusions
If a student does not know how to add fractions on
the first day and if they do not use iPads, about 72%
will successfully* add fractions, but if they do use
iPads, about 85% of them will successfully* add
fractions. The iPad yielded a 13% improvement.
25. What’s Next?
• Target two new Dev. Ed. courses starting in Fall 2014.
• Eventually have a full line up of Game Based Learning
Apps for all key topics of both Dev. Ed. courses on iPads.
• If prices get low enough, have iPads for all sections of
Dev. Ed. for students to check out.
27. Goal of the Custom iPap App
• Create a custom iPad Mobile App to use in MAT 060
courses that is geared toward college minded students
teaching them how to add fractions.
• Provide two CIS students with a valuable internship
opportunity.
• Assess the impact of game-based learning on student
success and identify the most effective game-based
learning tools – custom app or “off-the-shelf” gaming
applications.
28. Challenge #1: Student Interns
• Find student interns with skill set needed to design and
develop iPad App
• Designer Intern:
– Design the story line and create all the images of the custom
app
• Developer Intern:
– Develop the app as an iOS Native iPad Mobile App for the Apple
App Store
– Objective-C Programming Language on the Mac OS
29. Challenge #2: Equipment & Licensing
• iOS Developer Program License
• Production licenses of software purchased
– Adobe Creative Suite CS-6
– MacBook with Xcode and iOS 6
• Equipment was configured for project
• RRCC Student User Agreement with exceptions signed
• Both student interns were checked out:
– RRCC laptops in order to design and develop the apps using
production licenses.
– iPads for development and testing deployment
30. What’s Next?
• Complete the Custom App
• Deploy App to the Apple App Store for public
consumption
• Utilize the app for teaching in the MAT 060 courses
31. Story Line
• A traveler is traveling through the towns
and regions restoring their water supplies.
• Regions – a different region per mathematical function
• Towns – 9 towns per regions with problems increasing in
difficulty as the player moves from town to town in the
region.
– With each successful problem the player earns coins.
• Troll Bridge – after the player has advanced
successfully through each town, they must pay
the troll to pass over the bridge and commence
to the next region.
