Limits and Virtues of Educational Technology in Elementary School Mathematics

Abstract

The vast development and expansion of educational technology has led to the deconstruction of various barriers and challenges that the traditional approaches were incapable of overcoming. However, a field that still holds a great deal of interest and needs to be strengthened concerns the practices that surround mathematics education. Digital learning tools can provide a partial solution to this problem. In this study, we introduce a curriculum-driven digital practicing tool which accommodates diverse learning styles and educational needs. The representative sample of the pilot included 135 third-grade primary school students, randomly split in two groups, who participated in the 8-week experiment. The findings suggest that the digital practicing path can facilitate the development of subject mastery and increase the accuracy of arithmetic fact calculations. In addition, the use of learning analytics tools can facilitate the knowledge acquisition process and prevent learners from developing misconceptions toward the learning subject.