Development of computer play pedagogy intervention for children with low conceptual understanding in basic mathematics operation using the dyscalculia feature approach

Abstract

This study describes the development of a basic computer-based play pedagogy intervention using a dyscalculia-remedy-oriented approach such as repetition and number orientation manipulation, and the investigation of its effect on children displaying dyscalculia characteristics. This computer play was evaluated in a group of 50 seven-year-old Malaysian children, who were low achievers in mathematics subject and were divided into control and intervention group. The intervention group engaged with the newly developed computer play for an hour per day for five consecutive days, while the control group attended normal classroom learning for the same time period. Overall post-test scores indicated that children from the intervention group performed significantly better than the control group after the five-day intervention period by 57.9%. Number disorientation and arithmetic operation confusion, which are common amongst the children displaying dyscalculia characteristics, were also significantly reduced after the intervention. This implies that the children benefitted from the computer play.