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Clicking Toward an Engaged Algebra I Classroom
A Capstone Project
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
of Master of Arts in Teaching: Mathematics
Thomas Scott Milbrandt
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate School
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota
Summer 2011
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This capstone project was submitted by
Tom Milbrandt
Graduate Committee:
Dr. Laurie Geller, Chairperson
Mr. Larry Goodman
Dr. Ryan Winburn
Dean of Graduate School
Dr. Linda Cresap
Date of defense: July 7th, 2011
Abstract
Think of all the ways society has changed. Almost everyone has a cell phone, Internet access, and other technologies. Seemingly, why hasn’t classroom instruction changed to include more interaction via use of these technologies? I am as guilty as anyone of using lecture in my classroom. On a daily basis, I would go to the white board to lecture, write notes, and work examples. Class seemed stagnant with low interaction. Then, during the summer of 2010 I took a graduate class with an instructor who used “clickers” on a daily basis. This experience prompted me to use clickers (personal response system or PRS) in my high school Algebra I class to determine whether their use increased student participation and engagement. I also wanted to gauge student response from using the PRS. Would students find using clickers to be a positive or negative learning experience? I implemented clickers in my Algebra I class for nine weeks to find out. I used pre- and post-surveys to determine whether or not the students felt the PRS was a positive addition to the Algebra I classroom. In addition, I kept a daily journal to gauge my perspective, as the classroom teacher, of the effects of the PRS in class. The results indicate overall, student engagement and participation increased and students found clickers to be beneficial learning tools. In fact, student engagement and interaction increased more than I anticipated. The knowledge I obtained from this study will stay with me the rest of my teaching career. I know the importance of student interaction and engagement and the power of seeing these occur first hand; clickers are positive learning tools in my classroom, no questions asked. I give clicker-use my highest recommendation in the classroom, and other teachers too can see their students engage and interact with the curriculum in ways they once only imagined.
Acknowledgements
This capstone project would not have been possible without the guidance and the help of several individuals who in one way or another contributed and extended their assistance to help me prepare and complete this project.
First and foremost, my advisor Dr. Laurie Geller, Chairperson of the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science and Associate Professor of Mathematics. I will never forget your sincerity and unfailing encouragement and support throughout this process. Your inspiration helped me stay motivated and keep my head up when I wanted to wave the white flag. Thank you, Dr. Geller.
My fellow colleagues in the MAT program who were there with me side-by-side for so many summers in Lura Manor. I would like to especially thank my close friend TJ Hansen, who encouraged and motivated me to get enrolled into the program. Also, Peter Wang, friend and colleague I met while enrolled in the MAT program. TJ, Peter, and I were always editing each other’s papers. It sure didn’t hurt having more eyes looking for editing tips!
The faculty and staff at Minot State. They were certainly always very welcoming, friendly, and made the process a very educational and rewarding experience. The new teaching methods and instructional ideas I was presented with will make me a better mathematics instructor in the future. Special thanks to Mr. Larry Goodman, you instructed a mathematics course in which I was first exposed to the “clickers.” I knew from that point on that my capstone project topic was chosen.
Last, but not least, my wife, Amy; for being understanding and supportive of me for the past three years…especially, spending a majority of three summers away from home. She certainly always seemed to know what I needed when I was feeling overwhelmed. Thank you!
Table of Contents
Page
Abstract iii
Acknowledgements iv
List of Tables vii
List of Figures viii
Chapter One: Introduction 1
Motivation for the Project 2
Background on the Problem 2
Statement of the Problem 4
Statement of Purpose 4
Research Questions/Hypotheses 5
Summary 5
Chapter Two: Review of Literature 6
The Personal Response System 6
Checking Students’ Understanding 8
Benefits and Drawbacks 8
Typical Characteristics of Questions 12
Recommendations 14
Summary 15
Chapter Three: Research Design and Method 17
Setting 17
Intervention/Innovation 17
Design 18
Description of Methods 19
Expected Results 20
Timeline for the Study 21
Summary 21
Chapter Four: Data Analysis and Interpretation of Results 22
Data Analysis 22
Interpretation of Results 27
Summary 30
Chapter Five: Conclusions, Action Plan, Reflections, and Recommendations 31
Conclusions 31
Action Plan 33
Reflections and Recommendations for Other Teachers 34
Summary 35
References 37
Appendices 40
Appendix A: Pre-Survey 41
Appendix B: Post-Survey 43
Appendix C: Parental/Guardian Consent Form 46
Appendix D: Youth Assent Form 48
Appendix E: Principal Permission Letter 50
Appendix F: IRB Approval Letter 52
List of Tables
Table Page
1. Classroom Tasks: Traditional vs. Electronic 13
2. Pre-survey and Post-Survey Results for Questions 1-7 23
3. Post-Survey Results for Questions 8-13 25
4. Post-Survey Results for Questions 14-35 26
List of Figures
Figure Page
1. SMART Response PE Clicker from SMART Technologies 7
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Chapter One
Introduction
Jimmy is sitting in a classroom and his palms begin to sweat. Jimmy looks up at the board and notices the math problem seemingly glaring him straight in the eyes. After a few minutes, he has an answer circled on the paper on his desk. Jimmy begins to ask himself, “Is my answer correct?” Mr. Jastrom, Jimmy’s math teacher, looks ready to call on someone in the class for the answer, and Jimmy hopes that it is not him for fear of being wrong in front of his friends, his classmates.
Many people have been in a similar situation or have seen that scenario play out in a classroom. The same hands always go up to answer questions. What about the other students? How can teachers help to engage all students in the mathematics classroom?
With technology showing society that the sky is the limit, there must be a way to utilize modern elements to make sure the scenario above doesn’t continue to happen in most mathematics classrooms in America. Teachers know class participation can always be improved. Their hope is that when they ask a question, all students’ hands go up willing to answer. However, it seems like the same students answer questions every day. Why does this occur? Are students scared to answer incorrectly? Do students not know the answer or not want to answer? Would there be more participation if students could answer anonymously? Welcome to the world of personal response systems. With personal response systems, students can answer freely without the fear of giving the wrong answer in front of their classmates. This project determined whether the use of a personal response system increased student participation and engagement in a mathematics class.
Motivation for the Project
I was very interested in the personal response system or “clickers” as my school recently bought a set to go along with our SMART BoardsTM. My classroom has always had a handful of students willing to answer questions in class, and the rest of the class has had low participation during a typical lecture. In my opinion, the use of a personal response system can improve class discussion, participation, and enhance student learning immediately.
I was able to witness these improvements first hand at the college level. In the 2010 summer semester, a professor used a personal response system in one of my graduate courses, Geometry for Secondary School Teachers. I was immediately taken by this technology. The same students didn’t answer every question; students’ names were withheld on correct/incorrect responses; and it generated a vast amount of discussion. My experience in the classroom was such a positive experience because of the constant engagement in the lecture and class discussions generated. It was also appealing that the professor was able to adjust his lesson plan immediately if the class needed another example or if the class was ready to move on. I felt strongly that the personal response system benefited my learning, and I wanted to bring that positive experience into my classroom.
Background on the Problem
Technology use in the everyday classroom is becoming more of a reality than it was in the past. According to the market research firm Future Source Consulting, more than 300,000 interactive whiteboards were sold in the United States and 750,000 globally in 2009, an increase of 34% over 2008 (Eisele-Dyrli, 2010). I teach at a small Midwestern school with approximately 120 students in grades 7-12. By next year, all classrooms will be equipped with a SMART BoardTM. In conjunction with my SMART BoardTM, I had access to the personal response system the school system recently purchased. With so many technological resources to use in the classroom, the typical classroom may be going extinct while more and more technology and interactive materials are becoming readily available.
I noticed a trend that not only affected small town North Dakota, but classrooms throughout the nation. This problem has affected all instructors across the curriculum. Teachers all have students who sit back, remain quiet, and wait for the bell to ring. I believe teachers all strive for student engagement and interaction. What would society be like if students and teachers didn’t discuss problems with each other? Nothing would ever get accomplished! What happens when high school students go to college and are assigned a group project, will they know how to collaborate and work together? Fact is, once most students reach the “real world” or go to college, they need to interact with each other on a daily basis. That interaction starts in today’s classrooms! Teachers need to prepare students for the future. As a teacher, I believe student interaction, participation, and discussion on a daily basis would make my job easier, and would make teaching more fun! An engaged class is one where students care about learning and don’t want the bell to ring the second they sit down. The students enjoy the class, and the teacher enjoys seeing and working with them as well.
Low student interaction and participation began to arise because many teaching styles became stagnant. Think of all the ways society has changed. Almost everyone has a cell phone, Internet access, and other technologies. How many people know a teacher who teaches the same way as 20 years ago? They stand in front of the white board (or chalk board) and lecture the entire hour, every day, for 180 school days with no discussion amongst students or student-teacher interaction.
Student interaction is significant because it affects everyone. If teachers don’t teach students how to solve problems, work together, and discuss issues, students may struggle in college and in the workforce where they will be required to interact with others. I believed it was important to research this problem because this research would show my students what it is like to interact with each other, discuss problems, work together, and become more engaged in the classroom, life skills they can use for the rest of their lives. I cared, as an educator, enough to find out if the personal response system would benefit my students’ learning as it did mine at Minot State University.
Statement of the Problem
After five full years of teaching, I began to notice a trend with student interaction in the math classroom. Seemingly, all students wanted to participate but only a couple of hands went up, and it was always the same hands, to voluntarily explain their answer or answer my questions. Are students scared of answering for fear of being incorrect?
As a high school student, undergraduate, and graduate student, I have always believed student interaction and discussion have a direct relationship to learning. From my experience as a student, gaining immediate feedback during a lecture affects both the instructor and students in a positive way. Tradition lecture in the math classroom has typically been devoid of student interactions and immediate feedback. Can the amount of interaction and speed of feedback be improved?
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of my action research was to determine whether use of a personal response system, or PRS, increased student participation and engagement in my high school mathematics Algebra I class. Further, I described student reactions to the use of personal response systems and determined whether students perceived the personal response system to be a beneficial mathematics learning tool.
Research Questions/Hypotheses
The following research questions were asked: Will use of the personal response system in my Algebra I class improve student engagement? What will be the positive and negative responses from the students? How will students respond to using the personal response system in Algebra I? Will students find the use of the personal response system to be a positive mathematics learning tool?
I hypothesized that the students would enjoy using the personal response system. I believed the entire process would be a positive experience that would keep students engaged with the lecture. Hopefully, they would be more engaged than they were prior to using clickers.
Summary
I have been in the classroom as a teacher and as a student. Student discussion and interaction have always been areas I wanted to improve in my classroom. After using the personal response system firsthand, I knew the positive effect it had on my learning, as well as the entire class. My personal background as a student and educator led me to focus my research on the personal response system in the mathematics classroom and answer my research questions stated above.
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Chapter Two
Review of Literature
Traditional classrooms are becoming a thing of the past. The use of technology has become an everyday essential to education. As an educator, I noticed that student participation, in the mathematics classroom, did not involve every student. Can the use of technology improve student participation and engagement? The purpose of my action research project was to determine whether use of a personal response system, or PRS, increased student participation and engagement in my high school mathematics Algebra I class. Further, I described student reactions to the use of personal response systems and determined whether students perceived the personal response system to be a beneficial mathematics learning tool. The use of the PRS, background of the PRS, and case studies involving the PRS were analyzed and summarized in the review of literature.