Utilizing PBS “Cyberchase” Math Computer Games with Struggling Math Students

1. Utilizing PBS “Cyberchase” Math Computer Games with Struggling Math Students Michelle Brennan Education 7202T Seminar in Applied Theory and Research II Fall 2013 Dr. O’Connor-Petruso

2. Table of Contents • Research Design ……………………………………..………………….3 • Threats to Internal Validity ………………………….……………..4 • Threats to External Validity …………………………….………….5 • Sample Survey Questions ………………………………….……....6 • Sample Assessment Questions …………………………….…....7 • Proposed Data Analysis ………………………...……………..8-10 • References ………………………………………....…………..........11

3. Rationale & Research Design Rationale: • I observed many students struggling in math in my student teaching in a second grade class in Brooklyn, NY and decided to look into ways to help them. • At the same time I found it very hard to separate children at this age from their electronic games. • I decided to use their love for electronic games to teach these struggling students math. • Therefore my treatment is to have these students play “Cyberchase” math games on the computer through the PBS Kids website. • I took the bottom third of the class in math scores and randomly assigned them to two groups. • The treatment will be given to the treatment group (X1), three times a week for 40 minutes, during extended stay in the computer lab, for an eight week period. • The research will be focusing on the impact of these math computer games on student attitudes towards math and student assessment scores in math. Research Design: Quasi-Experimental • Students are not randomly assigned as they are all from the same class. • Two-Groups: • Designated treatment group (X1) • Control group (X2) • Nonequivalent Control Group Design: • Two groups are pretested (O), exposed to a treatment (X) and posttested (O). • Symbolic Design: OX1O OX2O

4. Internal Threats • History: Can’t control environment/classroom-fire alarm during testing • Maturation: “Over time, lose interest” • Testing/Pre-Test Sensitization: “Pretesting can affect posttest” • Instrumentation: Survey/Test design has not been tested • Mortality: “Drop out rate-results will become inflated” • Differential Selection of Subjects: Not studying clones-all different • Selection-Maturation Interaction: varying maturity of participants

5. External Threats • Generalizable Conditions: another researcher may not get same results with different children • Pretest-Treatment: Student reaction to treatment because of pretest • Treatment Diffusion: Groups share information • Experimenter Effects: My biases • Reactive Arrangements/Participants Effects: • Hawthorne Effect: Students will know they are being singled out • Compensatory Rivalry Effect: Control group change behavior by working really hard or giving up. • Novelty Effect: new technology

6. Sample Questions Pre/Post Survey Preference: 1)Strongly Disagree 2)Disagree 3)Agree 4)Strongly Agree Math is my favorite subject in school. English Language Arts is my favorite subject in school. I like to do math. I am good in math. Math is easy. Math is hard. Frequencies: 4) 5-7 days per week 3) 2-4 days per week 2) 1 day per week 1) Never How often do you use the computer outside of school? How often do you use the computer at school? How often do you play games on the computer? How often do you play Math Games on the computer? How often do you play Math Games on the PBS Cyberchase site outside of Math class?

7. Sample Questions Pre/Post Assessment Directions: Solve the following equations. 8 + 9 = 7 + 8 = 30 + 9 = 25 – 13 = 134 – 39 = Directions: What number is missing in the pattern? 2 4 __ 8 5 10 15 __ 10 8 __ 4 10 __ 30 40

8. Proposed Data Analysis

9. Proposed Data Analysis

10. Proposed Data Analysis

11. References O’Connor-Petruso, S. (2013). Descriptive Statistics Threats to Validity [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://bbhosted.cuny.edu/webapps/portal/frameset