Does Computer Use Promote the Mathematical Proficiency of Ell Students?

Abstract

The study explored the effects of computer use on the mathematical performance of students with special attention to ELL students. To achieve a high generalizability of findings, the study used a U.S. nationally representative database, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), and adopted proper weights. The study conducted both crosssectional and longitudinal analyses to examine the direct and longitudinal effects of three types of computer use: home computer access, computer use for various purposes, and computer use for math. The study found positive effects of home computer access and computer use for various purposes for English-speaking groups. It is important to note that computer use for math was associated with a reduced gap in math achievement between native English-speaking and ELL students. In particular, when Hispanic and Asian students frequently used computers for math, they showed high math performances when compared with their English-speaking counterparts.

Who are the Most Disadvantaged? Factors Associated with the Achievement of Students with Low SocioEconomic Backgrounds

“…A study by Chandra and Lloyd (2008) concluded that ICT improved students' scores as measured by standardized tests, and that the gains tend to be more substantial for low performing students. Similarly, Kim and Chang (2010) suggested that the use of computers can contribute significantly to narrowing the achievement gap between students with different backgrounds. In their study investigating the relationship between use of computers on students' reading scores through PISA 2006 data, Gumus and Atalmis (2011) concluded that, while use of computers for entertainment purposes significantly increased student reading achievement, it actually significantly reduced students' scores when those students used computers for educational purposes.…”

Interactive and Multimedia Contents Associated with a System for Computer-Aided Assessment

“…showing that the use of instructional technologies helps to improve the teaching and learning processes of mathematics (Kaput & Hegedus, 2007;Baki & Güveli, 2008;Lazakidou & Retalis, 2010;Reed, Drijvers & Kirschner, 2010;Andrade Aréchiga, López & López-Morteo, 2012;Kim & Chang (2010)). With respect to the impact of e-assessments in mathematics the majority of the studies show that e-assessments with formative feedback contribute to student learning and improve student performance on the final course exam (Varsavsky, 2004;Roth, Ivanchenko, & Record, 2008;Ruokokoski, 2009;Rasila, Majander, & Malinen, 2010;Angus & Watson, 2009;Huisman & Reedijk, 2012;Rivera, Ochoa, & Perez, 2013.).…”

Mathematics development in Spanish-speaking English language learners

“…As mentioned above, schools are required by law to identify and support students who may be at risk for academic failure (U.S. Congress, 2015). Despite this responsibility, academic data suggests that the needs of ELL students in the area of mathematics are not being met (Chang, 2008;Chang, 2012;Han & Bridglall, 2009;Kim & Chang, 2010;U.S. Department of Education, 2015c).…”

“…Specifically, ELL students as a whole start kindergarten with significantly lower mathematics performance than their Fully English Proficient (FEP) peers (Chang, 2012;Han & Bridglall, 2009;Kim & Chang, 2010). There is evidence that this gap persists or even grows larger between kindergarten and fifth grade (Chang, 2012;Kim & Chang, 2010). These findings are particularly important, as mathematics skills have been found to be among "…the most powerful predictors of later learning" (Duncan et al, 2007(Duncan et al, , p. 1443.…”

“…As Chang (2008) noted, the use of empirically-supported instructional practices is essential, particularly for ELL students who often lack educational support outside of school. While the amount of research in this area is limited (Chang, 2008;Clarkson, 2008), there is preliminary empirical support for incorporating high-quality computer programs into instruction (Kim & Chang, 2010), using heterogeneous achievement groups (Chang, Singh, & Filer, 2009), and using more cooperative and less teacher-centered activities like blackboard/overhead instruction (Chang, 2008;Valle, Waxman, Diaz, & Padrón, 2013). In addition, ELL students have been shown to perform better in schools that have more resources and services designed for ELL students (Han & Bridglall, 2009).…”