Project Activities
The researchers will develop an intervention called TechPALS, which uses handheld computers to teach fractions in the context of peer-assisted learning. In TechPALS, a set of four mathematics-related activities will cover a range of important concepts and skills related to rational numbers and fractions. The TechPALS software will be driven by a database of mathematics tasks, each of which draws upon and targets well-known difficulties in learning fractions.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The research will be conducted in California.
Sample
Participants will be fourth grade students in four elementary schools that serve primarily inner city, low income children.
Intervention
The researchers will develop an intervention called TechPALS, which uses handheld computers to teach fractions in the context of peer-assisted learning. In TechPALS, a set of four mathematics-related activities will cover a range of important concepts and skills related to rational numbers and fractions. The TechPALS software will be driven by a database of mathematics tasks, each of which draws upon and targets well-known difficulties in learning fractions. Experiment 1 will examine whether students assigned to the TechPALS intervention (comprised of training, content, activity structures, and handheld computers) will outperform students assigned to work individually in a computer lab. Experiment 2 will investigate whether students who use TechPALS in conjunction with teacher feedback will outperform students who use TechPALS in a classroom in which the intervention occurs in the absence of teacher feedback. In the teacher-feedback condition, feedback about group performance will be made available to the teacher. In addition, the teacher will be asked to follow a script in interacting with students. If they observe the majority of the class to be answering incorrectly on a particular task, they will stop the group work and re-teach the whole class how to do that task. Otherwise, they will offer coaching to groups in proportion to how much trouble the groups are having.
Research design and methods
For the two experimental studies, the researchers will assign students at random to treatment or control conditions. Random assignment will take place within rather than across schools, mixing students from each classroom into each treatment group. Hence, roughly half the students from Teacher A and Teacher B will form Group 1; the other half of the students from Teacher A and Teacher B will form Group 2.
Control condition
In the control condition, students will use well-known, standard mathematics computer software on desktop computers, and will work individually in a computer lab.
Key measures
The researchers will employ one outcome measure of student achievement in mathematics, the commercially available ITBS math computation subtest.
Data analytic strategy
The primary analytic strategy is hierarchical linear modeling.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products: The products from this project include a computer-based instructional program for learning fractions in a peer-assisted context, and published papers.
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Journal article, monograph, or newsletter
Roschelle, J., Rafanan, K., Bhanot, R., Estrella, G., Penuel, W.R., Nussbaum, M., and Claro, S. (2010). Scaffolding Group Explanation and Feedback with Handheld Technology: Impact on Students' Mathematics Learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58(4): 399-419.
Roschelle, J., Rafanan, K., Estrella, G., Nussbaum, M., and Claro, S. (2010). From Handheld Collaborative Tool to Effect Classroom Module: Embedding CSCL in a Broader Design Framework. Computers & Education, 55(3): 1018-1026.
Proceeding
Rafanan, K., Roschelle, J., Bhanot, R., Gorges, T., and Penuel, W. (2008). Measuring Mathematics Discourse in Technology-Supported Collaborative Activities. In ICLS 2008, Proceedings of the 8th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Volume 3 (pp. 117-118). The Netherlands: International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Questions about this project?
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