The use of tablet computers during Maths lessons increases the quality of teaching

A scholarly article «Tablet-based cross-curricular Maths vs. traditional Maths classroom practice for higher-order learning outcomes» was published in an international research journal which is ranked in Q1 quartile. One of the article’s co-authors is KFU’s invited professor Andreja Istenic Starcic.

About 300 seven-year-old children from 12 Slovenian schools took part in the research that lasted for 7 months. Accessibility of applications on the basis of cross-curricular modules was examined with regard to spheres of learning and ergonomics (academic and research discipline that studies a working process with an aim of creating reasonable working environment that increases productivity).

  • We investigated how performance of cross-curricular tasks on tablet computers influenced the boost in quality of knowledge, Andrea specified.

Andrea is a widely known expert focusing on questions of teaching, development and implementation of teaching technologies, innovative concepts for various groups of people with special learning difficulties.

  • In order to find out how the use of tablet computers influences learning outcomes, an intervention group consisting of 124 students studied cross-curricular modules with the use of tablet computers. A control group consisting of 135 students was taught Maths by traditional methods of teaching with the use of manuals, pads. The results indicated that an intervention group displayed better outcomes; students could easily manage task solving and navigate in amounts of information.

According to Andrea, students prefer tablet computers to PCs as the latter hinder their movements.

Gadgets should not be viewed as means of entertainment but as an actual facilitator in the learning process. Scientists pointed out development of students’ manual dexterity, reaction, reasoning skills, memory and other important skills. Andrea claims that students are more enthusiastic about unusual forms of learning rather than traditional. Besides, tablet computers contribute the transfer from visual thinking to abstract.

  • The conclusion we made is that the use of tablet computers in teaching cross-curricular modules of Maths leads to a more effective application of resources from various study fields and improves quality of knowledge with regard to cognitive, social and psychomotor aspects of learning.

Even though research results were publish in SCOPUS quite recently it evoked a great interest among scholars.

“Computers and Education” is an international journal indexed in SCOPUS, quartile Q1, publishing only high-quality articles with high reference numbers. The journal “Computer and Education” focuses on the researches about the ways of improving teaching and learning through the use of digital technologies. The journal’s impact-factor for the last 5 years is 5.047.