0 Sumdog Effectiveness Study Glasgow City Council Schools July 2016 Revision 1.4 Author Helen Le-Mar, Research Manager, Sumdog Reviewers Andrew Gallacher, Maths Education Coordinator, University of Glasgow Dr. Afi Y. Wiggins, Senior Research Analyst, Texas State University 1 Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 2 Study Overview .................................................................................................................. 2 Sumdog Overview .............................................................................................................. 2 Method ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Experimental Design ........................................................................................................... 3 Usage Measurement .......................................................................................................... 3 Sample Selection ................................................................................................................ 4 Demographics ..................................................................................................................... 4 Proficiency Measurement .................................................................................................. 5 Results ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Proficiency Improvement ................................................................................................... 6 Attitudinal Surveys ............................................................................................................. 9 Case Studies...................................................................................................................... 16 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 16 Appendix 1: Sandwood Case Study ......................................................................................... 18 Appendix 2: Riverside Case Study ........................................................................................... 25 Appendix 3: Tinto Case Study .................................................................................................. 29 Appendix 4: School Demographics .......................................................................................... 34 Appendix 5: Attitudinal Survey Questions ............................................................................... 36 2 Abstract Sumdog is an educational website that motivates students to practise mathematics skills through online games. This study found that the length of time spent using Sumdog has a highly significant, positive impact on students’ mathematics improvement. Students who spent an average of 1 hour per week on Sumdog progressed 3 times faster in mathematics than students who spent less than 5 hours on Sumdog over the 6 month study. Students and teachers observed an improvement in both mathematics ability and attitude towards learning mathematics since beginning regular Sumdog use. Introduction Study Overview Sumdog Overview The aim of this study is to determine Sumdog is an educational website that whether there is a correlation between the motivates students to practise length of time spent playing mathematics their mathematics, reading and writing games on Sumdog and improvement in skills through online games. All the mathematics proficiency. mathematics questions on Sumdog are Andrew Gallacher, Mathematics Education displayed in a consistent format. After Coordinator at The University of Glasgow selecting one of the 33 games, students and Dr. Afi Y. Wiggins, Senior Research are asked a multiple choice question with Analyst at Texas State University are acting four possible answers. If the correct as independent reviewers to validate the answer is selected, students can take part methodology of this study. in the game. If students answer incorrectly, they are shown the correct th The study ran between the 7 December answer and move onto the next question. 2015 and 24th June 2016 with 118 Primary 4 classes in Glasgow City. The majority of questions on Sumdog are Participating classes were given a automatically generated to ensure they subscription to Sumdog’s premium are always different. At the end of the features. Students completed two game students are shown corrections to diagnostic tests to determine their any questions they answered incorrectly mathematics proficiency level at the start and for many of the skills, they can then and end of the study. The total length of watch a Khan Academy tutorial to help time they spent on Sumdog between these them understand the concept. two tests was recorded. Sumdog’s adaptive learning engine Using ANCOVA and effect size, this study monitors and guides students to ensure found that the more time students spend that the questions asked are always on Sumdog, the greater their proficiency appropriate for each student’s ability level. improvement in mathematics. 3 All of the games have a competitive aspect. Sumdog. The initial diagnostic test was Students can choose to compete against a available from the 7th December, 2015. computer opponent, students from their class, or students from around the world. Sumdog continuously updates each student's proficiency level as they master Because students are asked their own th personalised questions during the games, new skills on Sumdog. On the 30 May, students of all ability levels can compete 2016 the diagnostic test was reset for all students taking part in the study to re- against each other fairly. assess their mathematics ability level and To motivate students, Sumdog rewards calculate their improvement in both effort and progress. When students mathematics proficiency. answer questions correctly, their effort is All teachers and students taking part in the rewarded by earning coins to spend in study were asked to complete an online their on-screen house. When students master new skills through demonstrating attitudinal survey in June 2016 to fluency in their answers, their progress is investigate the impact Sumdog had on their teaching and learning experiences. rewarded by earning new tricks for their on-screen pets and their proficiency level The survey questions were developed with the help of Andrew Gallacher who also increases. visited three participating classes to Teachers with a subscription to Sumdog interview teachers and students about can access detailed reports on each their experiences. student’s progress and they can also create activities and assessments to focus Usage Measurement each student’s learning. Sumdog’s skills are correlated to several curricula Teachers agreed to use the mathematics worldwide including the Scottish section of Sumdog for 1 hour weekly with th Curriculum for Excellence. The skills are their class between the 7 December 2015 th ordered in line with the published and the 24 June 2016 on computers or outcomes for each curriculum. Teachers tablets, either at school or at home. To also have the option to adjust the order of encourage usage, teachers were emailed these skills to match their teaching plan for weekly during the course of the study with the year. advice on how to use Sumdog effectively. Some teachers notified us that they did not Method have access to a computer suite in the school and only had a few computers in their classroom. For students who do not Experimental Design have access to the internet at home, this made one hour weekly usage difficult. On This study uses a quasi-experimental pre- the 24th June 2016, the total length of time test post-test design. The mathematics students spent playing games on Sumdog proficiency level of students was between initial and final diagnostic test measured at the start of the study using was calculated. Sumdog's diagnostic test which students complete through playing games on 4 Sample Selection Demographics All Primary 4 classes in Glasgow (including Figure 1 shows the number of students in composite classes) were invited to take the final sample size of 764 students who part in the study with the help of Stephen live in deprived areas of Scotland using Watters, Quality Improvement Officer at data from the Scottish Index of Multiple Glasgow City Council Education Deprivation, 2012. Services. Teachers who participated in the study were offered a free hands-on The majority of students in this study attend a school where over 60% of the training course from Sumdog as well as a free subscription to all of Sumdog's school population live in the 20% most premium features until the end of the deprived datazones in Scotland. school year for their class. Teachers agreed See Appendix 4 for more detailed to use the mathematics section of Sumdog demographic information. for 1 hour weekly with their students until the end of the school year, 24th June 2016. Figure 1: Level of deprivation in school 118 teachers agreed to take part in the area of students participating in the study. study which created a sample size of 2874 Data from the Scottish Index of Multiple