Maya Loves Tubby and you Should Too, If you Want to Understand and Evaluate Children's Math Learning in the Digital Age

Abstract

BackgroundThis article describes a detailed, hypothetical, but quite plausible account of how one child, Maya, made use of math learning software on a touch screen device (Tubby).Focus of StudyThe author discusses the kind of research that is possible and necessary to understand children's learning in the digital age, and how that research can contribute to the development of even more effective educational software, and can also largely eliminate the need for high-stakes testing and standard achievement tests.Research DesignResearch of this type will require use of complex statistical techniques as well as qualitative methods, such as case studies. The tablet can provide detailed descriptions of children's engagement in the various activities. Tubby can also be used for summative research that provides a valuable portrait of the child's learning over the course of the year.ConclusionComputers can, in principle, engage children in meaningful learning and at the same time provide educators with the tools for understanding, improving, evaluating, and assessing children's learning.