The data seems to be coming in that supports the idea that playing games can increase knowledge. In one study, it was found that playing an app called Motion Math: Fractions for 20 minutes a day for five days increased fraction knowledge by 15% among 120 elementary school children. Many proponents of hand-held devices have had a gut feeling that this is true, but no data to back it up (other than anecdotal data). There is not a lot of data, yet, but what data there is seems to support the use of ipads for learning. I have a couple of my own experiences to share.

Every year on the first day of MTH 106 (Math for Elementary Teachers I) I have my student solve the Missionary and Cannibal problem. Previous to this year, I would have the problem displayed on the overhead as the students walked into class on the first day. When they sat down, I would give each three red chips and three blue chips and tell them to work on solving the problem on the overhead using these chips to model the missionaries and cannibals. Many students would just sit and do nothing. Others would try the same thing over and over. After a while I would have the students work in small groups. Few students could get the problem solved in 30 minutes. Even after I went over the solution with the class, many students could not replicate it in a similar problem a few weeks later.

This semester I tried something new. I found a logic problems app for my ipad last summer and decided to have my students use it on the first day. I rounded up as many ipads as I could and gave those to the students with directions to play this certain game. I found that my students were all engaged and that none of the students gave up. I let them play the game for about 30 minutes, until all had had success. After playing the game, I put up the missionary and cannibal problem and passed out the colored chips. The difference was amazing. All of the students actively work on solving the problem, there were no sitters and no quitters, and about 75% of them solved it correctly. Not only that, 80% of the students successfully solved the similar problem a few weeks later. I will definitely do this again next year on the first day of class.

My second experience is with my 4-year-old granddaughter, Ada. Ada is a twin and is developmentally delayed. She has been diagnosed with Apraxia, which makes language and communication difficult for her. She has other delays as well. Ada got an ipad for her fourth birthday and her mother found an apraxia app. I played this app with Ada one day and was amazed how well she watched the face and lips of the person directing her on the ipad. She would watch his lips and then mimic to make the sound. What impressed me is how much more carefully she watched the face on the ipad than she would watch my face and lips.

These personal experiences have convinced me that apps could help me as a teacher. In my developmental classes I would love to have a set of ipads with some good apps that I could give to students when they are struggling with a concept. A student is having trouble subtracting negative numbers, so I hand him a ipad and say, “Play this game for 20 minutes and then try those problems again.” I think it could work, the problem is finding the apps.