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Changing the Way Students Learn Math

Why is math so hard for so many students? This has been a question that has been pondered for quite some time and, while there lots of stated reasons, we believe that these are all excuses for an educational system that remains buried in the technology of the 19th century. We believe that there are two fundamental reasons why students struggle and this belief has lead to the design and development of the EnableMath technology.

Mastery requires productive practice. Mastering mathematics is no different from learning to play basketball or the piano; it must be practiced and that practice must be productive. Most practice, or what is often called homework, is extremely unproductive. But, what are the ingredients to productive practice? First, the practice must be individualized to each student, it has to adapt to that learners particular learning curve. EnableMath assigns problems at a difficulty level matched to the student’s progress throughout the assignment until mastery is reached, no more or less problems than necessary. Second, students must receive immediate feedback to know where they stand in the learning process. EnableMath provides this feedback to the student as well as the coach and parent in real time for effective intervention. Third, the student must have immediate access to supportive content that is effective in helping that student understand the concept. EnableMath provides a rich array of content in multiple formats that is designed to engage the student in ways that meet that students learning style.

Math is a visual language. Its concepts, like variable or function, are very difficult to explain in words but easy to describe in pictures. Those few of us who are "mathematical" mentally picture these concepts, understand them and apply them in different circumstances. But most of us call ourselves "visual learners" which really means that we cannot form mental patterns or pictures and need to be shown the concept in visual terms. But math is taught out of textbooks by teachers who explain in words or write on blackboards. Unlike textbooks, computer screens are visual tools and Enablemath takes full advantage of the power of the computer screen to allow the creation of interactive, dynamic visualizations. They enable every student to "see" concepts, bring them alive and manipulate them. Our students constantly tell us that now they finally understand!

Practicing productively and learning visually are the keys to a comprehensive understanding and fluency in the application of mathematics.