Efficacy of a Computer-Based Learning Program in Children With Developmental Dyscalculia. What Influences Individual Responsiveness?

Abstract

This study presents the evaluation of a computer-based learning program for children with developmental dyscalculia and focuses on factors affecting individual responsiveness. The adaptive training program Calcularis 2.0 has been developed according to current neuro-cognitive theory of numerical cognition. It aims to automatize number representations, supports the formation and access to the mental number line and trains arithmetic operations as well as arithmetic fact knowledge in expanding number ranges. Sixty-seven children with developmental dyscalculia from second to fifth grade (mean age 8.96 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups (Calcularis group, waiting control group). Training duration comprised a minimum of 42 training sessions à 20 min within a maximum period of 13 weeks. Compared to the waiting control group, children of the Calcularis group demonstrated a higher benefit in arithmetic operations and number line estimation. These improvements were shown to be stable after a 3-months post training interval. In addition, this study examines which predictors accounted for training improvements. Results indicate that this self-directed training was especially beneficial for children with low math anxiety scores and without an additional reading and/or spelling disorder. In conclusion, Calcularis 2.0 supports children with developmental dyscalculia to improve their arithmetical abilities and their mental number line representation. However, it is relevant to further adapt the setting to the individual circumstances.

Computer-Based Intervention Closes Learning Gap in Maths Accumulated in Remote Learning

“…The direction of the change in performance-based groupings is in line with our intention that the intervention programme should aim to improve the computational and thinking skills of the laggards. This result confirms earlier research findings that computer-based intervention programmes are suitable even for struggling students ( Benavides-Varela et al 2020 ; Kuhn et al 2020 ). Our results indicated that the newly developed online intervention programme for mathematical reasoning can be used effectively in primary school to improve students’ basic maths skills, both in multiplication and division and in identifying which operations of multiplication or division are needed to solve specific word problems.…”

Contribution of Attentional Networks to Basic Arithmetic Achievement in School-age Children

“…Efficiency measures (EM) were calculated by dividing the median of RT (for correct responses only) by the hits proportion in each task. EMs have been used in previous studies (Kohn et al, 2020;Landerl et al, 2004;Reigosa-Crespo et al, 2012) considering this kind of combined measures provide a more complete picture of overall performance in each task. It has been observed that children with poor numerical skills tend to adopt strategies that produce generally accurate answers, but with extremely long latencies, or only respond quickly, exhibiting short latencies, but at the cost of very low overall accuracy.…”

Lernstörungen: Ein unvermeidbares Schicksal?

“…B. Kohn et al, 2020;Re, BenavidesVarela, Petron, De Gennaro & Lucangeli, 2020). Dies hat mehrere entscheidende Vorteile für die Förderung bei Rechenstörungen.…”

“…Ein erfolgreiches Beispiel eines digitalen, adaptiven und mit der Übungsmethode der direkten Instruktion umge setztes Trainingsgramm ist Calcularis 2.0 (Kohn et al, 2020)…”