Amid the sudden transition to remote learning during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, no subject took a harder hit than math. Between 2019 and 2022, all U.S. states experienced a decline in math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card. Eighth graders were particularly affected by the learning interruptions, with 38% failing to demonstrate partial proficiency in grade-level math skills.
However, while the pandemic set learners back in a number of subjects, recent studies have shown small improvements in Missouri students’ math scores, inching closer to pre-pandemic levels. For example, there was a 4% increase in math proficiency in 2022 compared to 2021 data.
However, just as there are steep challenges facing math educators, there are just as many opportunities to engage students through a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology and games. Through Northwest Missouri State University’s online Master of Science in Education (MSEd.) in Teaching Mathematics program, graduates gain expertise in advanced mathematics while picking up the tools they will need to teach those concepts in the classroom.
How Does Technology Improve Math Education?
While many teachers were already using technology in the classroom to augment their lectures and concept practice, the pandemic accelerated that trend overnight. Technology — particularly apps allowing students to communicate with their peers through web-based learning — proved crucial to engaging students as they persevered through an unprecedented educational landscape.
Even after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, technological trends have continued to remain a critical learning tool as educators transitioned back to full-time classroom instruction. Teachers primarily use technology to help students investigate conceptual knowledge, practice problems, justify math concepts and collaborate with peers, according to a 2023 Education and Information Technologies journal article.
Technology comes in many forms, including graphic calculators, learning software and tablets allowing students to simultaneously solve problems. These tools offer students a chance to work at their own pace, with the ability to move to more challenging material or focus on a difficult problem if they need more time to master a concept.
For example, interactive, dynamic geometry software and websites allow students to visualize math concepts and gain deeper conceptual understanding. Teachers can monitor student progress throughout activities and make instructional decisions as formative data is collected through tools.
A straightforward way to begin integrating technology into classroom lessons is by using interactive whiteboards or projectors to display math problems and solutions. Students can then use their whiteboards to interact with graphs or simulations directly. Some teachers also use math software to create 3D or interactive models that visualize a word problem, helping visual learners ground the math problem in real-world scenarios.
How to Make Teaching Math Fun
Effective math educators are masters of combining rote memorization with critical-thinking skills. They’re also adept at engaging students and bringing math lessons to life, often through leading interactive lessons on whiteboards or, more recently, using technology to gamify those concepts. For example, one high school math teacher uses the Which One Doesn’t Belong website in her calculus class to help students identify characteristics about graph sets.
Some teachers are cautious of games that imitate video games more clearly and focus more on world-building than math concepts. Still, games with an educational twist have their place in the classroom and as a learning tool that students can play at home. In fact, Common Sense Education lists the 10 best math tools and technologies for high school students.
Beyond encouraging collaboration and making learning more enjoyable for students, these tools save teachers time by collecting data about a student’s progress on key math concepts. Educators can use that data to better understand which ideas need more review during class time or which students need more personalized attention to master crucial geometry or algebra lessons.
Master Math Education Strategies With Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University’s online MSEd. in Teaching Mathematics program offers coursework designed to help educators design viable curricula and effectively engage students of diverse backgrounds. Per the program page, graduates leave the program “…qualified to train students to apply advanced math concepts to new trends in various fields, such as data mining, instructional technology, and mathematics curriculum” and gain a newfound understanding of how to use technology and other tools to teach 21st-century learners.
Learn more about Northwest Missouri State University’s online Master of Science in Education in Teaching Mathematics program.
