“An App! An App! My Kingdom for An App”: An 18-Month Quest to Determine Whether Apps Support Mathematical Knowledge Building

Abstract

In recent years, applications (apps) for iPads are increasingly being used to support learning in primary school contexts. Current estimates put the number of available educational apps at the iTunes store at approximately 500,000. Many of these apps contain mathematical content and purport to improve students' mathematics ability. Despite their availability, overall ease of use, and low price, significant questions remain as to their appropriateness in helping students develop mathematical knowledge. Three quantitative measures, previously used in other research to investigate digital technology use and student learning, were modified to meet the specific demands of evaluating apps. This chapter reports on the findings of a long-term research project that comprehensively reviewed mathematical apps to determine their usefulness for primary school students. It found that although the majority of apps provide little more than edutainment, a core group of apps were highly effective in supporting students in their development of mathematics knowledge.

Characterising the perceived value of mathematics educational apps in preservice teachers

“…Most of the Internet checklists represent a unidimensional structure and are not discipline specific (Kearney et al 2012). There is also research showing that such a lack of mathematics-specific checklists adds to the burden of school teachers looking for good-quality mobile resources (Attard 2013;Attard and Curry 2012;Calder 2015;Larkin 2015;Spencer 2013).…”

I Thought This Was a Study on Math Games: Attribute Modification in Children’s Interactions with Mathematics Apps

“…In the context of ACAT, educational technology, such as mathematics apps, are artifacts, mediating the activity between the child (i.e., subject) and the mathematics (i.e., object). However, few mathematics apps are effective in supporting students' development of mathematics knowledge [8], as the vast majority of apps involve little more than passive, repetitive practice [7]. However, some apps feature virtual manipulatives, which are "an interactive, technology-enabled visual representation of a dynamic mathematical object, including all of the programmable features that allow it to be manipulated, which presents opportunities for constructing mathematical knowledge" [23] (p. 13).…”

“…Educational technology offers teachers and students a broad array of representations of mathematics and mathematical learning opportunities [2,4], and some types of educational technology can have equalizing effects on achievement across demographic groups [5]. Researchers have begun to investigate touchscreen technology use in mathematics, including evaluating app content and quality [6][7][8][9], influences of multi-touch apps on learning outcomes [10,11] and experiences [12][13][14], and ways children access app affordances [15,16]. However, less research has examined characteristics of both children and apps that contribute to this activity, alongside patterns that emerge in these interactions.…”

Special issue introduction: Mobile technologies and learning

“…Some researchers (e.g., Larkin, 2015) have noted a lack of theoretical rigour regarding the use of mobile technologies in relation to their effectiveness. This lack of rigour is further compounded by the lack of time and expertise for teachers to accurately evaluate their use.…”