Sigal's Ineffective Computer-Based Practice of Arithmetic: A Case Study
Nira Hativa · Journal for Research in Mathematics Education · 1988
Sigal, a second-grade girl in Israel, was observed for several months while practicing arithmetic with a structured and controlled computer-assisted instruction (CAI) system. Sigal was average in arithmetic in her class, enjoyed the computer practice, and believed that it helped her in arithmetic. However, observations showed that she consistently failed to solve problems on the computer that she could do successfully with paper and pencil. She was therefore given CAI practice well below her real arithmetic ability. She often oscillated among a few types of exercises, sometimes regressing rather than advancing upward in the hierarchical levels of practice. Several kinds of interventions did not bring about substantial improvement in her work with the computer. Continued observations in the following 2 years showed almost no change in her CAI-related behavior. This paper suggests the reasons for Sigal's problems with the CAI practice and draws implications for CAI design and implementation.