Sunday, March 24, 2024

Gamification: A Solution to Disinterested Students in Math Classrooms

 When people hear you are a math major, their response is usually along the lines of:

“Wow, you like math? Good for you; I could never do that.” 

We seem to be noticing, as time goes on, less and less enthusiasm for math. Often, this is not because of the content, but rather, because of the way that it is presented. In a research article by Jair J. Aguilar, “High School Students’ Reasons for disliking Mathematics: The Intersection Between Teacher’s Role and Student’s Emotions, Belief and Self-efficacy,” we see the statistic that out of 350 participating students in grades 11-12 from a school in northern Mexico, 21% said they disliked math because of a “lack of interest or apathy” in the subject matter. Is there a solution to this? What is a way that students can have an interest in the content and applications without actually changing the content itself? Well, one possible answer to this question is gamification. 

What exactly is gamification? To put it simply, gamification adds a game-like element to a task such as student homework, therefore encouraging engagement and participation. A couple of weeks ago, our Technology for STEM Educators class had a guest speaker, Dr. Kevin Smith from Dakota State University, come and talk to us about gamification in the math classroom. He led us through examples of different ways to implement this strategy in our own classrooms as future math teachers. As a whole, we found these exercises fun and interesting as well as a great way to get to have a more positive mindset about math. 

Now, knowing this classroom teaching method, where do we go from here? According to Karen from the Naturally Creative Classroom blog, five possible ways to incorporate gamification into your classroom include:

  • Friendly competition
  • Offering rewards
  • Creating teams for learning and collaboration
  • Using a game-like tracking system, such as experience points
  • Game-like terms, for example: homework is a task, test is a quest, etc.

There are also different online resources that teachers can access, such as Prodigy, Quizizz, and Happy Numbers. These can be tailored to contain different types of content for different grade levels to fit the needs of students. 

As previously stated, there is a trend of students being disinterested in math, with a high percentage of this being a result of finding the content disinteresting. There are many options to explore in order to solve common complaints about math being boring and not having future applications in the lives of students, and one of these is gamification. Gamification gives us, as teachers, a chance to positively influence students to find interest in the subject of math.

Carson Haak, Rose Gutenkauf

Links to articles and websites referenced:

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1327942.pdf 

https://thenaturallycreativeclassroom.com/5-powerful-ways-to-increase-student-engagement-in-math-with-gamification-for-education/ 

https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/ 

https://quizizz.com/?lng=en 

https://happynumbers.com/?redirect=no 


Saturday, March 2, 2024

Math Isn’t Always About Math

While I may not be a teacher yet, I know middle and high school students everywhere are always complaining about math. Students will constantly ask the questions: why are we doing this? Why is this important? When will I ever use this? And to be honest, these are questions that go through my head as well. With that said, it can sometimes be difficult to answer these questions depending on what’s being taught. I know that from this point on in my college career I will most likely never teach what I am learning. So, sometimes it can be hard to see the bigger picture and these students are feeling the exact same way. Many students will choose to not use math in their future careers. Therefore, they don’t understand why they should learn math beyond the basics. So, the real question is why is it important for all students to keep learning math and how do we respond to these tough questions? 


The easiest way to respond to these students is to say that math isn’t always about math. Which can be confusing to think about, but it’s true. Math gives many students trouble, and it can be extremely frustrating for them. This is why many of these questions occur. Math not only tests our abilities in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and so on, but it also tests our problem-solving skills and perseverance. Those two reasons are why all students should not give up on math. These skills are extremely useful, and they will continue to be used for their entire life. Someday these students will experience failure in some aspects of their lives, and they will have to find ways to overcome these failures. Students will go through failures constantly. If students start quitting on themselves for something like math, how might that translate into other parts of their lives? That is what students need to realize. 


As teachers, or in my case, future teachers, we need to show the importance of math and how that can be applied to our problem-solving skills and perseverance. But this is not just true for math, but for all subjects. In all classes, students go through hardships and need to find ways to overcome them. The goal is to teach students that there are skills to be learned beyond the subject itself. Now, most students will probably brush it off when you tell them they are working on their problem-solving skills and their perseverance. But someday they’ll realize the importance of what they were doing, and they’ll thank you for showing them. 


Overall, what I wanted everyone to get from this is that math isn’t just about math. There are other skills to be learned like becoming a better problem-solver and learning how to persevere. Teachers can try and explain this to their students by relating how these skills are useful in their everyday lives. But this is mainly something that students will have to learn on their own. So, the next time your students ask you, when I ever use this? Maybe you’ll have a response.


Friday, February 23, 2024

Methods or Principles?

When it comes to solving a math problem, there are several methods a student can implement that will yield the correct answer. Sometimes, while helping friends with their math problems, I like to wait until they finish the problem to confirm their answer matches mine. This approach gives allowance to the fact that we learned two different methods for solving that sort of problem. However, because I grasp the general principle that they are applying, I can often double-check their work even if the specific notation or order of steps is different than what I utilized.

I have noticed that my understanding of general principles is not shared by all math students. This makes me question whether math teachers are teaching methods or principles to their students in the classroom. Many students struggle to solve a problem unless they are using the specific method they learned in the past because they do not understand the underlying principle behind the method.

“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” -Harrington Emerson

Although this quote is usually applied to life principles, I find that it is just as relatable for a mathematics classroom, while also addressing the very observations I have made. Math teachers need to be teaching their students the principles and big ideas of a lesson. If a student understands what they are trying to accomplish and the principles behind finding the solution, they can then choose the method for solving that makes the most sense in their mind. Students are often taught multiple methods to solve a problem, but without an understanding of the foundational principles of the lesson, they will struggle to know which methods to use, why they are using that particular method, and when to use it.

A competent teacher helps their students understand the principles of math so that they can choose a method that makes sense to them. Teachers serve their students well when they expose their students to one main principle and multiple methods that address that principle. This idea is utilized in both lower and higher-level math classes. In Calc 2, I learned many methods for solving integrals. However, I first needed to grasp the principle of integration if I was going to be successful in choosing which method to apply to a problem.

Gaining a deep understanding of mathematical principles also means that students will be able to solve many different problems. If all a student knows is a method for solving a given problem, they will be confused when they run across an unfamiliar problem even if it uses the same basic principle. However, if the student has been taught the mathematical principle, they will have the foundational knowledge needed to solve problems that initially look unfamiliar. Methods are often easier to teach, but teaching principles are what will serve students best as they move forward in the world of mathematics. Teaching principles allows students to become problem solvers, not merely method masters.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Is Math Just One Subject?

Earlier this week I had the privilege of attending the South Dakota STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education conference in Huron, SD. I attended the conference with an open mindset of learning a lot of new things, however, one session, “Teaching Math as a Language, left me questioning.  

The way the session opened was by comparing a math classroom to a language classroom. When he played the video of the language classroom, we were all a bit confused, as we had no idea what was going on. Later in the session, he presented an equation in slope form with a range of x-values. He then asked for volunteers to read the equation aloud. Two volunteers read the equation differently. At this point, I was confused about why or how they could read the equation differently.  

As a math education major, I adapted to the speech of math early on in life, but just like language classes, some people cannot adapt or process the language of math as easily. Translating math into language is a lot harder for kids; I have some younger siblings and I asked them to translate an equation for me. They also had three separate answers when reading the equation aloud (for reference there is a 7th grader, a sophomore, and a senior in high school).  

After witnessing this event happen two times in the same month with quite different people, I am curious how often kids struggle with translating a mathematical question and if they are struggling with just the basics of translation. Are they able to fully understand the concept of math? What if we started teaching the basics of how to pronounce equations in our lessons? How would this affect learning and the classrooms? Would this be beneficial, or would it take too much time out of the lesson and be too confusing?  

Referring to the session I attended, the presenter ended it with how he was teaching a lesson on chalkboard and one student was not writing anything down for the entire lesson. When he dismissed the class, he asked the student,Why did you not write anything until the end of the lesson?” The student then responded, “I was trying to figure out how you wrote the curly bracket at the beginning of the lesson.” This brings us back to whether math should be taught as just a language or as a writing classroom. Is math just one subject? Do we need to teach math as multiple subjects so students can fully understand it?  

Friday, February 9, 2024

Virtual Reality in the Classroom

With Apple’s release of the Apple Vision Pro, virtual reality is becoming more prevalent daily.  With the seamless cross of the real and the virtual, the applications are only limited to one's imagination. This led me to research different ways virtual reality technology can be used in the classroom.

One common use for virtual reality in the classroom is a tour of a virtual museum.  Instead of having to plan, schedule, and attend a field trip to a museum students can now visit any museum available in VR.  This comes with some drawbacks though as some may think that students wouldn’t be getting the full experience of visiting a museum.  I couldn’t agree more.  There is a time and a place for VR tours, but you can’t beat going to a real museum in person.


Another use of VR in the classroom is to allow students to experiment with science in a safe environment.  Students of any age can conduct VR simulations of physics, chemistry, and engineering, without the dangers that come with the field.  I think this is a great application of VR in the classroom, as it allows students of all ages to experience the sciences in a safe environment.  For example, we could have elementary schoolers, doing simulations of chemistry experiments, without the dangers that come with bunsen burners and corrosive chemicals.  Or they could start trying electrical and mechanical engineering without the worries of them injuring themselves.


One more use of VR technology in the classroom is VR art.  With apps that allow you to paint, draw, and sculpt in VR, the possibilities are endless.  As the price of art supplies is ever-increasing, one would only have to have a one-time purchase of a VR headset to produce digital art.  Although some may view this as more graphic design than art, I believe it has enough force to become a medium of its own.


Even SDSU is hopping on the VR bandwagon.  In an article from March of 2023, SDSU was elected as one of seven universities to become a “metaversity.”  Students will be able to attend classes through a virtual replica of the SDSU campus.  They would be able to engage in the classroom just like a normal student.  This alone is a huge application for distance learning situations.  Whether you live out of state or are sick, you can attend your lectures like you were there in person.  If you would like to read more about it, here is the SDSU news article:


https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2023/03/sdsu-selected-one-seven-original-metaversities


As well, on February 28th, SDSU Faculty and Staff can attend an event that will teach them how to introduce VR in the classroom, if any faculty/staff would like to sign up, here is the link to the event:


https://www.sdstate.edu/events/2024/02/how-start-teaching-vr


With VR as an ever-increasing medium, it is only a matter of time before it makes its way into the classroom, and when it comes, I will welcome it with open arms.


Monday, February 5, 2024

Periodic table: Paper vs Phone App

The periodic table is a very useful tool when it comes to science classes, but when it comes to retaining all information about the 100+ different elements on the periodic table, some would find it to be quite challenging. Printing the periodic table out and customizing it to fit your needs is not the worst idea but wouldn’t it be easier to just download an app on your phone. If it is downloaded on your phone not only, can you take it everywhere you go but you don’t have to carry around a piece of paper. Trying to carry the periodic table around on paper can be just as challenging as trying to remember all the information on the table.

Comparing the paper to an app would make it quite easy to figure out which one you should choose. For starters, the paper copy and the app do share some similarities. Of course, they share the fact that the table is there for you to look at always and you can customize the table to fit the class. When I talk about customizing the table, I mean writing or even coloring the groups of s, d, p, and f, along with writing down the charges at the top of the table, and even grouping the metal, metalloids, and gasses. Along with all of these customizations, the only thing that you have to worry about is making sure that the paper stays in good condition, unlike a phone where you have to make sure stays charged and does not run out of battery.

The apps for periodic tables have the advantage over that on paper for multiple reasons. Yes, you have to make sure your phone doesn’t die but how often does a person let that happen. If you do your work at home, you can always keep your phone plugged in while you work. The periodic tables on apps also have most of if not all the information you need already on the app, it just comes down to you looking over the information and making sure you are prepared. The app also has some added information that can’t fit on a normal periodic table. Apps include the Latin version of the name along with the year that the element was discovered. That’s not all either, the app also includes the density of the element along with its melting and boiling point. Everything that could be found in a book or on the periodic table inside of a book can be found on one app on a phone.

In all, having a periodic table app on your phone would be just as valuable as having it on a piece of paper or trying to look at one in a book. The apps end up providing as much information as the periodic table and the book combined. People today would rather have things on their phones that they deem valuable and for chemistry students, the periodic table is very valuable.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Do Math Diagrams Matter?

     Almost everyone has been in a math class where the teacher or professor has warned the class about the picture or diagram on a certain problem is not drawn to scale properly. For me, these problems mess with my head because I use visual aids to check if my answer makes sense. At the same time when doing problems such as those I look around the room and it seems many students could care less about the picture. After these observations, I wondered if diagrams make a difference for students in the classroom and why textbooks cannot have better pictures with the technology we have today.  

    When I started looking for information on this topic, I found that the use of proper diagrams in the math classroom is an understudied topic, and most of the articles you can find will tell you that. The article that aligned most with what I have observed is linked below the blog. This article talks about how all students, whether they have a learning disability or not, learn math in different ways. The focus of the article is on how students use diagrams and if they are helpful, whether they are making them or using one given to them. As one could guess, diagrams help students more than they probably realize. The part that I found interesting is that students seem to struggle if a diagram does not match what they have found. This is largely impart to figure #1 in the article (Sorry it would not post on the blog) that talks about strands of diagram proficiency. In one of the boxes for example it says one should be able to explain and justify how a diagram helped in a problem. If the diagram is not correct, how are we supposed to justify or explain how it helped solve the problem.  

    It is interesting that false diagrams occur with all the available technology. Technology has improved over the last decade, and there are several software programs capable of drawing diagrams for use. Over the past couple of semesters, I have been able to mess around with a website called GeoGebra. GeoGebra can construct just about any polygon or even polyhedron a teacher or textbook writer could ever want. Websites like this should be used to help students learn and understand. Whether that is having students do problems on those sites or the teacher taking the time to make a diagram that properly fits the questions. For more information on the impact of diagrams on student learning in mathematics, please see the article below. 



https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11858-013-0519-1