This paper provides information on datasets for the research project that examined the efficacy of three educational technologies including "From Here to There!", a research-based game for improving algebraic understanding. The dataset contains 4,092 7th-grade students' data collected through a randomized control trial conducted in…

This study investigated the effects of (1) proximal grouping of numbers; (2) problem-solving goals to make 100; and (3) prior knowledge on students' initial solution strategies in an interactive online mathematics game. In this game, students transformed an initial expression into a perceptually different but mathematically equivalent goal state.…

This study investigated the effects of: (1) proximal grouping of numbers; (2) problem-solving goals to make 100; and (3) prior knowledge on students' initial solution strategies in an interactive online mathematics game. In this game, students transformed an initial expression into a perceptually different but mathematically equivalent goal state.…

Background: Prior work has shown that middle school students struggle with algebra and that game-based educational technologies, such as DragonBox and From Here to There!, are effective at improving students' algebraic performance. However, it remains unclear which aspects of algebraic knowledge shift as a result of playing these games and what…

Prior work has established that cognitive and perceptual processes influence students' attention to notational structures in mathematical expressions, which in turn affects their problem-solving approaches and performance. Advances in educational technology provide opportunities to further investigate these processes, improve student learning, and…

Well-designed online educational games can improve students' math knowledge, skills and engagement; however, more research is needed to understand how to formatively assess components of students' mathematical understanding and learning as students solve problems in online educational games. In this study, we examined how 7th-grade students' (N =…

Computer-assisted learning platforms (CALPS) increasingly include gamified elements to improve student outcomes by enhancing their engagement with content. Although evidence exists that gamified programs increase engagement and learning outcomes, there is little causal research on what programmatic mechanisms drive the effect between engagement…

New educational technologies that utilize students' interaction data and visualizations provide a means to expand our understanding of learning processes. In this study, we apply two advanced and novel data visualization techniques, called the "Indivisualizer" and a "Sankey diagram," to explore how middle school students (N =…

New educational technologies that utilize students' interaction data and visualizations provide a means to expand our understanding of learning processes. In this study, we apply two advanced and novel data visualization techniques, called the "Indivisualizer" and a "Sankey diagram," to explore how middle school students (N =…

Worked examples are effective learning tools for algebraic equation solving. However, they are typically presented in a static concise format, which only displays the major derivation steps in one static image. The current work explores how worked examples that vary in their extensiveness (i.e., detail) and degree of dynamic presentation (i.e.,…

Prior research has shown that game-based learning tools, such as DragonBox 12+, support algebraic understanding and that students' in-game progress positively predicts their later performance. Using data from 253 seventh-graders (12-13 years old) who played DragonBox as a part of technology intervention, we examined (a) the relations between…

Prior research has shown that game-based learning tools, such as DragonBox 12+, support algebraic understanding and that students' in-game progress positively predicts their later performance. Using data from 253 seventh-graders (12-13 years old) who played DragonBox as a part of technology intervention, we examined (a) the relations between…

Background: Prior work has shown that middle school students struggle with algebra and that game-based educational technologies, such as DragonBox and From Here to There!, are effective at improving students' algebraic performance. However, it remains unclear which aspects of algebraic knowledge shift as a result of playing these games and what…

This paper demonstrated how to apply Machine Learning (ML) techniques to analyze student interaction data collected in an online mathematics game. Using a data-driven approach, we examined 1) how different ML algorithms influenced the precision of middle-school students' (N = 359) performance (i.e. posttest math knowledge scores) prediction and 2)…

We apply an advanced data visualization technique, "Sankey diagram," to explore how middle-school students (N = 343) solved problems in a game-based algebraic notation tool. The results indicate that there is a large variation in the types of students' strategies to solve the problems, with some approaches being more efficient than…