Collaborative Research: RAPID: Evaluating the Cognitive and Educational Benefits of Mental Abacus Training

心算是一种流行的数学技巧练习，主要在亚洲国家的小学背景下。心算学生首先学习在物理算盘上进行快速算术计算，然后学习想象在没有物理设备的情况下移动珠子。然后，年幼的孩子可以快速地进行大数字的加、减、乘、除。这个项目将心算教学与其他两种教学方法进行比较，以了解它如何帮助一年级和二年级的学生学习计算和学习对位值的概念理解。ECR项目强调在该领域产生基础知识的基础STEM教育研究。投资在至关重要、广泛和持久的关键领域：STEM学习和STEM学习环境，扩大STEM参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。先前的研究表明，心算与视觉空间工作记忆有关。该项目是一项随机实验，旨在比较多所小学一年级和二年级《心算》、《新加坡数学课程》和《一切照常》课程的有效性。数学成绩将通过标准化考试成绩和四项评估来衡量（内部算术流畅度测量，WIAT， Woodcock-Johnson III和对位值概念理解的测量）。一系列认知测量和干预保真度测量也将包括在内。该项目将有助于了解心算作为一种教学方法的有效性，并为该领域更大规模的工作奠定基础。

Mental Abacus is a popular mathematics technique practices primarily in Asian countries in elementary school contexts. Mental abacus students begin by learning to make rapid arithmetic computations on a physical abacus and then learn to imagine moving the beads without the physical device. Young children can then rapidly add, subtract, multiply and divide large numbers. This project will compare mental abacus teaching to two other teaching methods in order to understand how it helps first and second grade students learn to compute and learn conceptual understanding of place value. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development.Prior work indicates the mental abacus computations are connected to visuo-spatial working memory. The project is a randomized experiment to compare the effectiveness of Mental Abacus, Singapore Math Curriculum and business-as-usual curriculum in grades 1 and 2 in multiple elementary schools. Math outcomes will be measured with standardized test scores and four assessments (an in-house arithmetic fluency measure, the WIAT, the Woodcock-Johnson III, and a measure of conceptual understanding of place-value). A battery of cognitive measures and a measure of intervention fidelity will also be included. The project should result in understanding the effectiveness of Mental Abacus as a method for teaching and provide a foundation for larger scale work in the area.