Abstract
<div><p>This paper details the development and evaluation of software that allows middle school students to explore the mathematical aspects of Ghanaian Adinkra symbols. We tested the effectiveness of this simulation in a Ghanaian junior high school by conducting a randomized quasi-experiment. We begin this paper by framing culturally responsive math education within the interventionist tradition of ethnomathematics. We draw this tradition together with an empirical exploration of the mathematics embedded in Adinkra symbols. We follow this with a methodological explanation for how we translated the mathematical significance of Adinkra into the design of our software, “Culturally Situated Design Tools.” Finally, we describe the quasi-experimental evaluation of the software using a randomized assignment of students in control and intervention groups in Ghana. We found statistically significant improvement for students using the culture-based software in comparison to similar software with no cultural content.</p></div>
Highlights
This paper details the development and evaluation of software that allows middle school students to explore the mathematical aspects of Ghanaian Adinkra symbols
These simulations belong to a suite of web applets, “Culturally Situated Design Tools” (CSDTs), which bring together ethnomathematics research with the “sandbox” approach of open-ended design software (Eglash et al, 2006)
We describe the empirical foundation for Adinkra Computing, the design of the software, and the testing of the software in a quasi-experimental evaluation that compares the mathematical performance of control and intervention groups of Ghanaian junior high school students
Summary
This paper details the development and evaluation of software that allows middle school students to explore the mathematical aspects of Ghanaian Adinkra symbols. We begin this paper by framing culturally responsive math education within the interventionist tradition of ethnomathematics We draw this tradition together with an empirical exploration of the mathematics embedded in Adinkra symbols. These simulations belong to a suite of web applets, “Culturally Situated Design Tools” (CSDTs), which bring together ethnomathematics research with the “sandbox” approach of open-ended design software (Eglash et al, 2006). We describe the empirical foundation for Adinkra Computing, the design of the software, and the testing of the software in a quasi-experimental evaluation that compares the mathematical performance of control and intervention groups of Ghanaian junior high school students. As a research program present within and outside school walls, ethnomathematics challenges classic notions of math education while revealing power dynamics about who is represented and hidden within curricula
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