|
|
For a description of the project, see Educational Impact.
Two rigorous studies of the effectiveness of the project have been undertaken and resulted in the following reports:
An Evaluation of the Reasoning Mind Pilot Program at Hogg Middle School an independent statistical evaluation of the first pilot project, written by Dr. W. A. Weber.
Description and Evaluation of Reasoning Minds 2003 Pilot Project an internal evaluation of the project, with photographs and anecdotal evidence in addition to statistical evaluation of attitude survey and test results.
In summary, both studies concluded that the educational impact of the project was very significant. Important observations regarding students' state of knowledge and learning preferences were made as well. In particular,
- The results obtained regarding student achievement whether measured by a pretest and a posttest designed for this purpose or the mathematics section of the state-mandated and District administered achievement test, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills indicated that the mathematics achievement of students who participated in the Reasoning Mind Pilot Project the experimental group was statistically significantly higher than the mathematics achievement of students who did not participate in the Reasoning Mind Pilot Project the control group.
- These results also indicated that the difference between the mathematics achievement of the experimental and control groups was also educationally meaningful; it was of practical significance. In educational research, an effect size equivalent to or greater than one-third of a standard deviation unit (+0.33) is considered to be of practical significance; that is, the difference is educationally meaningful. The analyses reported in this evaluation yielded effect size differences favoring the experimental group that were: +1.66, +1.64, +0.80, +1.61, +0.79, and +.048. This is clear evidence that participation in the Reasoning Mind Pilot Project made differences that were extraordinary difference far beyond what would be reasonable given the focus and duration of the project.
- Students at both schools showed a significant improvement in knowledge of ratios and proportions at Hogg, for example, the test groups average improvement from the pretest to the posttest was 67%, while the control group only improved 6%. Moreover, the TAKS passing rate for the test group which was initially of equal mathematical achievement with the control group exceeded the control groups by 20%. This effectively brought the passing rate up to within 1% of the average passing rate for white students in the state, 84%. In other words, only one semester of instructional intervention closed the achievement gap between the predominantly Hispanic students of Hogg and the average white student in the state of Texas.
- An achievement gap between boys and girls at Hogg, measured to be 10% by the pretest instrument, was reduced to 1% after the project, as measured by the posttest.
- The results obtained regarding student attitudes indicated that for the most the Hogg students who participated in the Reasoning Mind Pilot Project were very positive about their experiences. For example, 80.00% of those students reported that they liked learning mathematics on the Reasoning Mind system, and only 6.67% reported that they preferred learning mathematics in their regular classes. At both schools, almost all students that had spent significant time in the system reported that they learned at least as much from the system as from their regular classes, and the vast majority reported that in fact they learned more.
- One of the most noticeable weaknesses in the mathematical upbringing of all of the students was an inability to think in theoretical terms; instead, students had been conditioned to solve problems, and getting the right answer was much more important to them than understanding the solution.
- The students at both schools had difficulty with such basic concepts as whole-number division and decimals. At Hogg, most students did not even know what a whole number was. The arithmetical skills of the students also left much to be desired.
- The attitude surveys yielded the result that quite a substantial proportion of the students at both schools at least half placed the benefits of learning on par with or higher than the other benefits of the system, such as prizes and animations. The lapses in learning that had been observed were clearly not due to any lack of motivation on the part of the students.
To download both of the reports with details of the studies please visit our Publications page.
|
|
