Teachers should select educational applications with specific outcomes in mind to best meet the needs of the student. Some educational applications support student learning in several areas of math and at several levels. Some focus on a specific math topic, only one aspect of a topic, or on only one achievement level.
Key questions to consider when selecting educational applications to help meet students’ goals and objectives include the following:
- What is the intended outcome of the use of the educational application? For example, is it meant to strengthen math skills in problem solving or is it meant to build speed and accuracy with basic math facts?
- Is the educational applications likely to fulfill its stated purpose? For example, if the stated purpose of the activity is to build problem-solving skills, does it provide the explanatory feedback needed to do so or simply assess whether or not problems are solved correctly?
- Can the educational applications be used as an alternative to traditional classroom activities to enhance students’ participation? For example, will students learn as effectively using online math manipulatives as they would using traditional manipulatives?
It's important to consider these questions when selecting educational applications for students.
The next bog post will discuss different kinds of educational applications that address automaticity/math fact fluency.
Sources:
Dell, A., Newtown, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom . (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : Pearson Education.
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