Designing an Interactive Abacus Learning Application for beginners: A prototype

Abstract

The abacus is an excellent substitute for rote memorization of simple numbering and multiplication tables, which some young children find daunting. Students who learn abacus are found to be superior in the accuracy of their memory and the number of digits they are able to memorize when compared to non-abacus learners of the same age. Apart from the Chinese medium schools, the teaching and learning of abacus is not part of the teaching syllabus in the public and private schools in Malaysia. Therefore, this research provides a step in the right direction by designing an Interactive Abacus Learning Application for beginners. This application is based on child centered approach with the use of interactive and multimedia elements. The use of cognitive and psychomotor skills was also applied in its learning process. Apart from that, a drag-and-drop technique was applied for student interactivity.