Math Snacks is a project that addresses the mathematics learning needs of students in grades 4th-8th grade. These games and animations are based on extensive research on the conceptual gaps that students have in mathematics that keep them from succeeding in the mathematics classroom and moving on to higher math. These gaps that we are addressing are based on an analysis of over 24,000 student results on the New Mexico Standards-based assessments. The games and animations are designed to provide students a very different way to access the important mathematical ideas that they need to know.
The researchers for Math Snacks found a very interesting pattern of mistakes that was similar across most districts regardless of the size of the district or the demographics. Based on this research ,which also included over 500 hours of classroom observations and interviews with students, most students struggle with understandings related to the properties of numbers, estimation, fractions, and conversions between fractions, decimals, percentages and whole numbers. Students also had trouble with reasoning and explaining their thinking about problems, with understanding and creating patterns, and with algebraic thinking and problem solving.
The idea behind Math Snacks is to situate these problem areas in mathematics in totally different contexts than those in which the students had previously experienced only failure. The mathematics is placed in a real world context that has been determined by additional testing in the Learning Games Lab and in classrooms to be of interest to the students. There are also teacher guides and student guides that come with the multimedia products to help teachers, parents, after-school providers, and students themselves to extend what they can learn by doing the games of viewing the animations.Math Snacks materials were developed with support from the National Science Foundation (0918794). It is currently in the stage of development and enjoys opportunities to work with teachers and others to continuously improve the product for learning. If you have any questions about the research related to Math Snacks you are welcome to contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Karin Wiburg kwiburg@nmsu.edu.
