Engagement and Attitude
Are students engaged and excited in the activity? Do we hear students say, “this is fun”, “I like doing this”, “this is cool” or similar?
Students were consistently excited to participate in Sphero coding. They often asked when we would have another Sphero lesson and if they could work with Spheros if they finished their Math Assignments. They enjoyed trying new formats and sharing their successes with others. Student comments included phrases such as “We should do this more often!” and “Yes! Sphero Day!”
Have the teachers in their core math class noticed any changes in attitude/performance?
It was difficult to measure student growth in their core math classes. We didn’t expect our rosters to fluctuate as much as they did from trimester to trimester. Overall, it is hard to say if Sphero’s specifically caused core math growth or if the Math Intervention class in general was the main contributor.
Are students more on-task and engaged with their regular math activities (either in intervention or core math class)?
There was a significant increase in engagement in the intervention math classes. Practically speaking, the Spheros were a welcome break after completing a module or on oddly scheduled days, such as minimum days before a break. However, the concrete application of concepts also served to anchor student learning. When math was involved in the Sphero lessons, we were able to tie it back to what they had learned in their core classes. Students commented that they enjoyed coding and that they might want to become a computer scientist when they grow up.
Are they willing to do the math to figure out how to program the Sphero Mini?
Students resisted the writing aspect of data collection, but they were willing to perform calculations and make predictions. With more exposure, especially in the later lessons, students were able to perform calculations more quickly and accurately. Students were quick to pick up on Algorithmic Thinking and were very willing to demonstrate California Mathematical Practice Standards, such as “Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.” “Reason abstractly and quantitatively.” and “Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others”
