How Does the Quiz Function of the Calculator Affect Retention of Basic Math Skills?
By: Natalie Kennel and Cheri Matthews
Many children have a problem today with recalling the answer to basic math facts. In particular, basic math skills, the foundation of almost all mathematics, are not being preserved in a meaningful way in their minds. This, coupled with “…the students’ inability to correctly use … calculators” (Hudson, Kadan, Lavin, & Vasquez, 2010) adds additional pressure to teachers that are trying to build more advanced knowledge on this unstable foundation. There is a feature on the Texas Instruments(TI)-15 calculators that are available at some schools that has a unique feature for our children to use. It is a problem solving function that randomizes basic math facts in the four main areas: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The child using the problem solving feature will fill in the missing number in the problem using the keys on the calculator. Upon their answer submission, the calculator will verify if their answer is correct; or, if their answer is incorrect, the feature gives the child a hint to solve it correctly, using a greater than or less than sign. Pomerantz (2009) supports this by stating that “[calculators] afford students learning tools that complement, but do not replace, mental and paper-and-pencil skills, and they expand students’ abilitiy to solve problems by providing multiple solution technique” (p. 4). The problem solving feature on the TI-15 is essentially digital flash cards; a tool that could aid in the retention of basic math skills. “…Calculators are more prevalent in the classroom than other forms of technology due in part to affordability and accessibility” (Raines & Clark, 2011), thus making this research, if it is successful, beneficial to many classrooms across the country and across the world. Even if schools do not have access to the TI-15, they are a reasonably priced resource that could potentially help all children’s basic math skills be retained more effectively. The question we are proposing to research is: How does the quiz feature of the calculator affect the retention of basic math skills? With this research, the researchers want to be able to help students retain basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Children, today, are naturally motivated by using technology. According to West’s (2010) research, “half of the students…studied [math facts] by means of a computer website” (p. 27) in order to build their skills for in class assessments on basic facts. This indicates that some students are drawn to technology as a way to study. In another study conducted by Bottage, Grant, Stephens, and Rueda (2010) in which students in a technology course used multimedia tools to build their math skills, found that “…the computer-based instructional tools together with the applied problem resulted in higher problem-solving performances” (p. 21). Furthermore, a third grade teacher used computers as her chosen form of technology for her students to practice their basic math skills and found “using computers in the classroom a few times a week to practice basic math skills…a success” (Brown, 2009). Finally, “…the use of calculators can increase a student’s ability to problem solve” is the conclusion of research conducted on improving basic skills with technology by Hudson, et al. (2010). With such research results about the benefits of technology in the classroom and its benefits, this research could have such successful results as these.
In order to answer the research question, we will be conducting a study with 7 second grade classrooms during the months of April and May. With 20 students in each classroom, there will be 140 second grade students in the study. In order to receive accurate results, the students will be grouped according to skill level, (high, medium, and low) based on a baseline data assessment. We will follow similar procedures as Poncy, Skinner, & Axtell (2010) where “prior to the study, each student had received instruction with basic multiplication facts from a basal curriculum”. A fourth grade teacher, Patricia Lerner (2008), recently completed a study on a computer program called FASTT math (fluency and automaticity through systematic teaching with technology). She chose this program because “ the software program is individualized and can be easily incorporated into the classroom instruction” (Lehner 2008). Just like her study, the TI-15 calculator is a modified program to help the students that will be easily assimilated in classroom instruction. However, the TI-15 calculator is not based on an individual’s skill level, but is based on high, medium, and low levels.
After each student is grouped based on skill level, we will then randomly select half of the students from each skill group to study basic multiplication facts ranging from 0-12 using the flashcards, and the remaining half of the students in each group will study the same multiplication facts from 0-12 using the TI-15 calculator. The calculator tool is familiar to the students, because they have seen it previously in the classroom, however it is not implemented regularly. The students will study for 15 minutes a day for 44 days using their tools. On the 45th day, the students will complete an end of the study assessment (post test) on basic multiplication facts. To determine whether changes in multiplication fact recall were acquired with the calculator over a period of time, a maintenance test will be conducted four weeks after the completion of the study. The post test will then be compared to the maintenance test to examine the retention levels.
Many primary school teachers are often faced with the difficult task of figuring out how to help students recall basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. By the time the students reach the fourth grade, they are expected to recall from memory all of the solutions to those basic facts in order to be able to solve more complex problems. As stated by Wong and Evans (2007) “Basic multiplication facts are considered to be foundational for further advancement in mathematics”. These advancements include but are not limited to fractions, decimals, long division, multi-step multiplication, and so on. Because of the increase of the use of technology, we feel that with the use of the TI-15 calculator functions, students would have an opportunity to be motivated with a game feature on an electronic device. “Such use of real data is motivational; it helps pupils make connections between the school mathematics and the mathematics used in the world” (Lee, 2006). This research study would help to answer the question of “how the quiz function of the calculator affect the retention of basic math skills?” and hopefully have beneficial results for children’s retention abilities.
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