Research Proposal: A Quantitative Investigation into the Effects of

Tablet Interventions on Elementary School Students’ Math Fact

Retention and Recall

Joshua Campbell, Claudia Marchessault, Ed Pawliw

University of British Columbia
ETEC 500C - Prof. S. Cho
April 3, 2016
Abstract:
This quasi-experimental quantitative study aims to explore and describe the effects of using
tablets and related applications on elementary school students’ retention and recall of math
facts. This study uses cluster sampling and a matching pretest-posttest control group design to
gather substantial quantitative data from students for analysis. This study will supplement
existing research exploring the use of technology for assistive learning in the classroom,
contributing to the foundation on which to build policy for the procurement and implementation
of assistive technology that best supports student achievement.

Keywords:
Tablet, Intervention, Math, Elementary, Math Facts, Computing, Mobile Devices, Retention, Apps
 Objectives
Research Problem
Worldwide, tablets are being purchased in staggering numbers. Tablets have gone from selling
3.3 million units in the second quarter of 2010, to most recently selling 65.9 million units in the
last quarter of 2015. (Statista, 2016) As school districts continue to invest millions of dollars
into tablet technology, (Morrow, 2014) the question remains: Do tablets enhance student
learning? The purpose of this study will be to explore the effects of using tablets and related
applications to practice math facts on elementary school students’ retention and recall of math
facts.

Research Question
This quantitative research study will explore both the nature and direction of the impacts that
tablets and related applications have on student retention and recall of math facts and
addresses the following questions:
1) Are there differences in the retention and recall test scores between elementary school students
who use tablets and related applications to practice math facts, and students who use traditional
methods to practice math facts?
2) What is the nature of the direction of test score results between the two groups (ie., which group
showed higher retention and recall)?
For the purposes of this study “retention and recall” will refer to math fact questions answered
correctly per minute.
The term “tablet” refers to any and all mobile computing devices that are controlled by means of
a touch screen (Merriam-Webster).

“Math facts” refers to a collection of related multiplication and division facts, made from the
same numbers. For the purposes of this study, only students’ retention and recall of
multiplication facts will be examined.

“Traditional methods” refers to printed sheets of multiplication questions, completed by the

student with a writing instrument.

Perspectives
Research Literature Review
This research literature review examines the use of mobile learning platforms and related
software to gauge how these may affect the achievement of students, with an emphasis on
mathematics applications employed on tablet devices. Studies completed in this area indicate a
number of considerations for exploring implementation strategies. Of primary importance is the
measurable benefit achieved from implementing emerging technology. Second, student and
teacher comfort with the use of technology impacts how the technology will be internalized as a
viable educational instrument. Third, how the technology will be deployed from an infrastructure
and educational perspective. From these considerations, there is impetus to develop a study
that studies the effectiveness of mobile platforms and software supporting student achievement.
Of particular interest is the effect of specific applications and their ability to enhance student
achievement in mathematics core concepts.

With the diverse nature of the modern classroom, multiple strategies are required in order to
differentiate the instruction that this population needs to grow academically. Musti-Rao and Plati
(Musti-Rao, Shobana & Plati, Erin 2015, p. 435) support the use of mobile devices as a tool to
reinforce math facts in the classroom. Petty (Petty. 2007. p. 24) takes this a step further,
indicating that technology use enhances teaching and curricular delivery. In support of
differentiation, technology use allows for “self-pacing, immediate feedback, and breaking down
complex processes into small steps, may be even more beneficial for struggling students”.
(Zhang, M., Trussell, R. P., Gallegos, B., & Asam, R. R., 2015, p. 38). This points to using
technology for supporting differentiated instruction. Thus, technology can be seen as a real
possibility for effective student support in curricular delivery.

A factor in technology implementation in the classroom is student and teacher expertise with the
technology and recognition of how and when the technology is best utilized. “… both students
and teachers stressed the potentially negative impact of touchpads on learning, particularly
because this novel technology can distract a class”. (Karsenti, T., & Fievez, A. 2013, p. 40). One
must be cautious and ensure that a plan is in place to utilize the technology strategically.
Teachers must be prepared from a professional development perspective to make the wisest
use of the technology (Karsenti, T., & Fievez, A. 2013, p. 40). One must ensure that selected
technological devices and applications are appropriate for the specific application being
considered.

Instructional deployment of mobile learning devices and related educational software highlight a
number of variables to consider including availability of the technology, the student:device ratio,
whether they will be used as concept presentation, remediation, or support. These
considerations point to a requirement to investigate which intervention or instructional model
that best serves the needs of the student (Burns, M. K., Kanive, R., DeGrande, M. 2012, p. 188)
(Chang, W.-L., Yuan, Y., Lee, C.-Y., Chen, M.-H., & Huang, W.-G. 2013, p. 170). Whichever
model is selected, the technology must be used as an aid to the teaching-learning process and
not as the primary mode of instructional delivery (Petty, Daniel D. 2007, p. 24).

Successful achievement of students in mathematics, the expertise stakeholders have with

technology, the deployment of the instructional supports, and the information gleaned from
previous studies, all play interactively (Petty, Daniel D. 2007. P. 24). With the assortment of
studies and data available, so follows a wide range of results when researching math related
technology. There are those that did not realize enough statistical evidence to endorse a
particular model (Carr, Jennie M. 2012, p. 276) (Bebell, D., & Pedulla, J. 2015, p. 211). Other
studies have indicated that there is promise for using assistive technology with differing
configurations (Cheung, Alan C.K., Slavin, Robert E. 2013, p. 100) (Kanive, Rebecca, Nelson,
Peter M., Burns, Matthew K. & Ysseldyke, James. 2014, p. 86) (Riconscente, Michelle. 2012. P.
24). With these differences in findings, one must examine very carefully the data from the
studies when considering a technology strategy. Researchers indicate that studies completed
have been somewhat lean on experimental quantified data (Bebell, D., & Pedulla, J. 2015, p.
193). Since student achievement is based on quantitative data through achievement testing,
studies must refocus on this aspect in order to provide insight into the efficacy of
the applications and technology available (Bebell, D., & Pedulla, J. 2015, p. 212). Focused
studies must be undertaken in order to validate the platforms, applications, and implementation
strategies that assist with successful student achievement (Petty, Daniel D. 2007. p. 24). As
such, further study has been deemed necessary by those who have conducted previous
research (Zhang, M., Trussell, R. P., Gallegos, B., & Asam, R. R. 2015. p. 32) (Bebell, D., &
Pedulla, J. 2015. p. 212). An experimental quantitative study exploring a specific mathematics
application on a specific mobile platform delivered using a school district approved pedagogy
would result in data that determines the strength of the proposed educational aid.

Methods
Research Design
Given the two research questions guiding this study, and the aforementioned context, a
matching pretest-posttest control group design will be used to gather quantitative data
for analysis. Although study participants will be randomly selected, random assignment of
participants to either the control or treatment groups is not practical due to prior enrolment in a
class. For the study, students’ pretest scores will serve as the basis for matching participants
across the two groups and will allow us to ensure relative similarity between the two groups on
student retention and recall of math facts. (Mertler, 2015, p. 130-131)

Data Sources
Participants
Students in Vancouver School Board elementary schools will be the participants in the
study. Initially, the superintendents of school districts selected via simple random sampling will
be contacted via e-mail in order to obtain permission to contact school principals directly. From
the sampled districts, a cluster sampling procedure will be used to select schools to participate
in the study. Once permission from principals has been secured, envelopes containing a cover
letter (See APPENDIX A), instructions and all materials necessary for completing the study will
be sent to the principals to be forwarded to teaching staff in grades 4 through 6 of the particular
school. The estimated sample size will be several hundred students. Information and consent
forms (see APPENDIX B) for child participation must be submitted to the school board authority
for approval prior to distribution to the students’ caregivers for their information and consent.

Instrumentation
Data will be collected through two original instruments, titled the Elementary Math Facts Pretest
(“EMF Pretest”) and Elementary Math Facts Posttest (“EMF Posttest”), each respectively
consisting of 100 multiplication questions. (See APPENDIX C and D).

Procedures
Teachers will be instructed to provide each student in their class with a copy of the EMF Pretest.
Students must fill in their randomly assigned number, record their starting time, respond to each
of the 64 items, and record their finishing time. For students in younger grades, teachers will be
provided with suggestions for facilitating recording this information (ie., putting students’
randomly assigned number on sheets for them, all beginning /ending at a stipulated time).
Teachers will then be asked to supplement their students’ daily math instruction with 15-minutes
of math fact practice for a period of two weeks. For classes assigned to the control group, this
practice will take the form of traditional methods, as defined above. For classes assigned to the
treatment group, this practice will take the form of accessing math fact practice activities on IXL
using a tablet. At the end of the two week period, teacher respondents will be instructed to
provide each student in their class with a copy of the EMF Posttest, following the same
procedures as the EMF Pretest. Teacher respondents will return both the EMF Pretest and EMF
Posttest along with a covering letter indicating their District, School and Grade in a self-
addressed, postage paid envelope.

Data Analysis Plan

For each EMF Pretest and EMF Posttest, the number of questions that the students answered
correctly will be tabulated on a per-minute basis. Mean scores and standard deviations will also
be calculated. To facilitate comparison, the students’ improvement in scores will be converted
into percentages. A bivariate correlation will be calculated examining the degree of relationship
for the control and treatment group both on the pretest and posttest data.

Results/Conclusion
Results
The research hypotheses focused on whether elementary students, using tablets for math fact
practice would realize a benefit from this type of assistive learning technique. The null
hypothesis stated no measurable benefit, while the directional alternative hypothesis stated that
students would have significantly higher test results in the treatment group than students in the
control group.

The research literature review concluded with a direction that supported the alternative
hypothesis, though to varying degrees and utilized in a variety of educational settings and
applications. The weakness of the supporting results in the research literature indicate that if the
study is to realize a significant advantage for the treatment group as stated in the alternative
hypothesis, then further study involving a larger population and an experimental design with
random selection and assignment is recommended to assist with verification and extend the
generalizability of the study.

Limitations of the Study

Internal Validity
Using a cluster sampling technique is convenient in this case, but a true random selection and
assignment process would ensure equivalence of groups and be highly recommended for future
studies. There is no provision for statistical regression in the study. Since all students in the
groups are taken as presented, there may be considerations relating to differential selection of
participants. Class and school dynamics, teaching methods, and socio-economics for the school
areas will have a bearing on the testing and results. Since the study will take place in an urban
school board and no previous study was conducted to establish stability of the student
population, attrition may be a factor if a particular school population proves to have transient
tendencies. The instrumentation used must be applied across all groups without prejudice. If the
students are accustomed to a particular style or vocabulary of testing, this may alter their results
if the instrumentation is notably different from what they are used to. Since there will be two
tests administered, this may affect student achievement positively or negatively in both the
control and treatment groups, indicating testing sensitization.

External Validity
Since existing classes are used for the control and treatment groups in this study, there are
concerns with respect to population validity. The socio-economic makeup of the groups would
have to be detailed and be similar across groups in order to present a generalizable outcome to
apply to a similar population. The personological validity is a factor in both this study and in
applying this to other groups. Some students may prefer this intervention while others may
prefer tactile learning aids. This was not controlled or studied in this case. Students exposed to
this treatment may be artificially motivated, especially over a short study time period. This
ecological factor must be considered in future similar studies.

Significance of the Study

This study would supplement existing research exploring the use of technology for learning in
the classroom. There is a broad range of studies that can be rooted in this study in order to
discover all the combinations of software, hardware, teaching methods, and interventions with
respect to the school district and setting policy that is supported by rigorous and valid research.
Since an urban school board has demographics that could vary widely between schools, data
from a relatively small sample set would point to the need for further study. The selection of
the infrastructure (software, hardware, integration method) would have to be aligned with
school board protocol. If these specifications are met through the study tools, then the results
will direct the follow-up studies. These would be important to establishing direction for
procurement and implementation of the assistive technology. With the size of a school board
such as the Vancouver School Board, the economics must be supported by solid research prior
to full implementation. Therefore, this first study for the school board would be a cornerstone for
building policy direction that best supports the achievement of the students.
Appendix A
Agreement to Participate in a Research Study
Further to receiving authorization from your district superintendent and school principal, we
would like to request your participation in a study on the impact of different methods of
practicing math on elementary students’ retention and recall of math facts. This study is being
completed under the direction of Professor S. Cho from the University of British Columbia.
By agreeing to participate in this study, teachers of Grade 4 and 5 classes will be asked to
perform the following functions:
 Distribution and collection of parental consent forms
 Providing alternate activities for those students who decline to participate
 Distributing and facilitating a pretest and posttest
 Integrating 15-minutes of math fact practice into your daily math routine

During the study, no information will be gathered which will individually identify you or any of
your students. Both you and your students will be identified only by randomly assigned
numbers. The findings of this research will not be used or shared in any way that will
compromise you or any of your students’ privacy.
While you participation would be greatly appreciated, it is entirely voluntary. Should you choose
to participate, have the right to withdraw your class’ participation at any time or prohibit the
inclusion of any of the measures listed above.
If you have any questions about this research study, please contact Professor S. Cho at [xxx-
xxx-xxxx]. If you have any concerns about the conduct of this study, pleasecontact the UBC
Office of Research Ethics.
Laurel Evans, Director, Research Ethics
UBC Office of Research Ethics
#102, Technology Enterprise Facility III
6190 Agronomy Road
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
Ph: 604-827-5113
Email: laurel.evans@ors.ubc.ca

Alternate researcher contact for routine study administration

issues:
[Researchers’ Name]
[Contact Info]
Appendix B
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
We are students at the University of British Columbia, and we are conducting a research study
in your child’s class. We are interested in studying the impact of different methods of practicing
math on elementary students’ retention and recall of math facts.
Should you agree to have your child participate in this study, your child will complete an initial
assessment to provide us with a baseline of their current math fact knowledge. Following this
assessment, your child’s teacher will be integrating 15-minutes of daily practice into your child’s
regular math lessons. After a period of two weeks, your child will be given a second
assessment to help us gather data on the nature of any difference between the method of
practice used and their retention and recall of math facts. During the course of this study,
neither your child’s name, nor any other materials that will identify your child will be
collected. While you child’s participation would be greatly appreciated, it is entirely
voluntary. Your child will not do anything outside of his/her normal classroom activities and
there is no risk to you/your child. Your child’s participant will not affect his/her grade.
If you have any questions or concerns about the study, or if you would like to withdraw your
child from the study, please contact us at:
[Researchers’ Name]
[Contact Info]
If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact:

Laurel Evans, Director, Research Ethics

UBC Office of Research Ethics
#102, Technology Enterprise Facility III
6190 Agronomy Road
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
Ph: 604-827-5113
Email: laurel.evans@ors.ubc.ca
Sincerely,
[Researchers’ Name]
Appendix C Internal Use Only

EMF PRETEST Corr: ______

Designated Student #: ________________________ E.T.: ______
Q.P.M.: ______
Start Time: ____:____ End Time: ____:____ % +/-: ______
Appendix D Internal Use Only

EMF POSTTEST Corr: ______

Designated Student #: ________________________ E.T.: ______
Q.P.M.: ______
Start Time: ____:____ End Time: ____:____ % +/-: ______
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