MATHMASTERY: AN ADVANCED MATHEMATICAL CONCEPT INSTRUCTOR

ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT A CURE FOR ALL EDUCATION PROBLEMS, IT IS EXPECTED THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHATEVER HELP TECHNOLOGY CAN PROVIDE INCLUDING COMPUTER-BASED SOLUTIONS. ACCESS TO COMPUTERS DEFINITELY HELPS STUDENTS EXCEL IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE. IT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT DEVELOPMENT OF NEW EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY BE STRONGLY SUPPORTED; HOWEVER, SUCH TECHNOLOGIES ARE TYPICALLY IMPLEMENTED NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE EDUCATIONALLY SOUND BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE TECHNOLOGICALLY EASY TO IMPLEMENT. FOR A MATHEMATICAL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM TO BE COMPREHENSIVE FOR ALL GRADE AND ABILITY LEVELS AND SPAN ALL CURRICULAR AREAS OF A PARTICULAR SUBJECT, IT MUST UNDERSTAND HOW EACH CONCEPT IS LINKED TO OTHERS AND HOW EACH CONCEPT BUILDS ON THE PREVIOUS ONES. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM INSURES THAT A STUDENT TRULY MASTERS A CONCEPT BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO GRASP THE NEXT ONE. IF A STUDENT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND A MATHEMATICAL CONCEPT, HE/SHE WILL BE BUILDING ON AN UNSURE FOUNDATION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LEARN THE NEXT CONCEPT. IN THE MATHMASTERY PROJECT, RESEARCHERS ARE DEMONSTRATING THAT A COMPREHENSIVE MATHEMATICAL CONCEPT NETWORK THAT MAPS THE INTERDEPENDENCIES OF MATHEMATICAL SKILLS NECESSARY FOR STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL CAN BE CONSTRUCTED, AND THAT IT IS AN IMPORTANT AND USEFUL COMPONENT OF MATHEMATICAL EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE.