Math Snacks are short animations and mini-games designed to present mathematics in a very different way. In fact, we hope these snacks don't look like traditional math at all. Math Snacks give students, especially those who don't particularly like math, another way to look at math concepts.
Math Snacks principles relate to the core mathematics concepts that students should know and be able to do in grades 6, 7 and 8. The availability of Snacks on the Internet, iPhone and iPad, makes it possible for students to enjoy the games and animations during non-school time as well as in class. Students can work with the snacks on their way to and from school, and at home or in libraries or after-school centers. The accompanying print materials can assist learners in applying their conceptual understanding to additional math activities and problems.
Math Snacks reflect research on gaps in mathematics understanding. Educational researchers compiled data on what students don't currently understand and the concepts that teachers have a difficult time conveying to their students. Math Snacks researchers observed and worked in classrooms to learn the problems students were having with math. The Math Snacks team also includes experts in the area of games, animations and learning. Using the Dual Immersion Design Process created at NMSU Learning Games Lab, team mathematicians, math educators, researchers and game developers work collaboratively to provide access to powerful learning tools. Most developer resources are available to our team, which include our learning objectives and other working documents.
Math Snacks materials are pilot tested throughout development. Beginning in the fall of 2012, Math Snacks materials will be evaluated using random trials in school and after-school settings. By 2014, the Math Snacks suite will include 20 different animations and games, and all learner tools will be translated into Spanish.
Math Snacks development, outreach and research is currently funded by a K-12 Discovery Learning grant from the National Science Foundation led by Dr. Karin Wiburg (Barbara Chamberlin and Ted Stanford are co-PIs). Initial animations and games were originally funded as part of a larger national project from the U.S. Department of Education, led by Tim Best (the Ohio State University) and Sheila Cassidy (Wexford Consulting), with Dr. Wiburg and Dr. Chamberlin as Co-PIs.
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© 2014 NMSU Board of Regents. All rights reserved. NMSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. Math Snacks materials were developed with support from the National Science Foundation (0918794). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Some materials were originally prototyped or discussed as part of a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education (U295A050004).