Personalizing algebra story problems to student interests improved accuracy on easy knowledge components within the tutoring unit¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2013 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Students receiving personalized problems performed significantly better on easy KCs in Unit 6 (odds = 1.43, p < .001). → Walkington 2013

Evidence¶

Walkington 2013¶

Walkington, C. A. (2013). Using adaptive learning technologies to personalize instruction to student interests: The impact of relevant contexts on performance and learning outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(4), 932–945. doi:10.1037/a0031882

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Same randomized experiment and hierarchical logistic regression model. Personalization improved easy KC accuracy with "odds = 1.52* 0.94 = 1.43, p < .001". Authors suggest this may support fluidity on less mathematically-relevant parts like entering givens.

"Personalization also significantly improved performance on easy KCs in Unit 6 (odds = 1.52* 0.94 = 1.43, p < .001)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Interest — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it

Related Claims¶

• An IES practice-guide presentation recommends personalized problem contexts, asserting without cited studies that students engage more actively and perform better in them — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Personalization to student interests improved accuracy on hard knowledge components involving algebraic expression-writing within the tutoring unit — related
• In a small subgroup of struggling students (n = 25), interest personalization greatly improved expression-writing accuracy within the tutoring unit — related
• Personalization reduced time spent on hard expression-writing steps, and students who had received it were still faster at writing expressions in a later non-personalized unit — related
• Students receiving personalized problems gamed the tutoring system less during the personalized unit, with no difference in a later unit — related
• Students are significantly worse at translating two-step algebra story problems than matched one-step problems, implicating a hidden integrative knowledge component — related