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

心算是一种流行的数学技术练习，主要在亚洲国家的小学背景下进行。心算专业的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对大数进行加、减、乘、除。本项目将比较心算教学与其他两种教学方法，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计划强调基础STEM教育研究，以产生该领域的基础知识。在基本、广泛和持久的关键领域进行投资：STEM学习和STEM学习环境，扩大对STEM的参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。先前的工作表明，心算计算与视觉空间工作记忆有关。该项目是一项随机实验，旨在比较心理算盘、新加坡数学课程和商业照旧课程在多所小学一年级和二年级的有效性。数学成绩将通过标准化考试分数和四项评估(内部算术流利性测量、WIAT、Woodcock-Johnson III和对位值的概念理解的测量)来衡量。还将包括一系列认知测量和干预保真度测量。该项目应该有助于理解心算作为一种教学方法的有效性，并为该地区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.