Evaluating Feasibility and Effectiveness of Computerized Mathematic Training

Sponsor

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT03706144

Collaborator

(none)

Enrollment

Location

Arms

12.9

Actual Duration (Months)

5.3

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

This is a randomized controlled trial that is carried out in collaboration with Knox County Schools, using an adaptive, open-access, online math training programs as intervention and student growth in math attainment as the primary outcome over one school year.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Math Teachers (Grades 2-8) Math Students (Grades 2-8)	Other: Prodigy Math Training	N/A

Detailed Description

Computational fluency and understanding of mathematical concepts are essential for students' math achievement. Attainment of math learning goals in childhood uniquely predicts life-course success and wellbeing.Thus, investing in childhood math proficiency is critically important to prepare students for solving problems and succeeding in life. In schools, math teachers are faced with increasingly complex demands but instruction time is limited. Students who are struggling may need extensive individualized practice to succeed. To that end, novel computerized training methods are used in today's schools to help students obtain crucial abilities. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), most schools have adopted digital tools in the classroom, and they are increasingly interested in providing students access to new educational resources. Such specialized programs may have the potential to enhance children's academic growth trajectories, but they are not sufficiently evaluated. Moreover, teachers may not be prepared to select and use adequate digital tools.

There are numerous online learning programs that elicit different levels of motivation in students while adhering to Common Core State Standards. Some of them are expensive for schools whereas others are free, which makes them especially attractive for socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. One of the newer, but highly used programs is Prodigy, an adaptive open-access online math training game that continuously adapts to students' progress. Prodigy is different than most other programs because of its play-based, virtual reality environment that students explore with an avatar while solving math questions. As a result, students may be highly motivated and elect to spend more time on Prodigy than on other learning programs. Prodigy is currently being used by around 26 million students and teachers in the United States and Canada (https://www.prodigygame.com/), 150 school districts in the US have implemented Prodigy as part of their math curriculum, and many districts are expected to change from other programs to Prodigy, but the program has not been evaluated so far.

The investigators' aim is to evaluate the use and effectiveness of the adaptive Prodigy math training program via a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in the Knox County Schools (KCS) district.

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

69 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Intervention Model Description:

This is a randomized trial with two arms. Teachers (and their respective classes of students) have been randomized into one of two groups: Participating in the adaptive, online Prodigy Math Training treatment as usual (TAU) - classic math instruction in schoolThis is a randomized trial with two arms. Teachers (and their respective classes of students) have been randomized into one of two groups:Participating in the adaptive, online Prodigy Math Training treatment as usual (TAU) - classic math instruction in school

Masking:

Single (Outcomes Assessor)

Masking Description:

The primary outcomes are standardized, computerized assessments. Please note that the primary outcome is on the individual student level, while the randomization and participant number below is per teacher. Each teacher participates with 1-4 classes of on average 25 students

Primary Purpose:

Basic Science

Official Title:

Evaluating Feasibility and Effectiveness of Computerized Mathematic Training - A Randomized Controlled Trial

Actual Study Start Date :

May 1, 2018

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Apr 30, 2019

Actual Study Completion Date :

May 30, 2019

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Prodigy Intervention Group Teachers will use the Prodigy Math Training with their students in school for at least 20 minutes per day, 3 days per week, from August to December 2018.	Other: Prodigy Math Training https://www.prodigygame.com/
No Intervention: Control Group Instruction as usual = TAU

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Prodigy Intervention Group

Teachers will use the Prodigy Math Training with their students in school for at least 20 minutes per day, 3 days per week, from August to December 2018.

Other: Prodigy Math Training

https://www.prodigygame.com/

No Intervention: Control Group

Instruction as usual = TAU

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Change in mathematic achievement [8 months]
Change in mathematic achievement trajectories assessed with standardized Aimsweb Concepts and Applications scales test scores at three defined time points over 8 months: baseline (pre-test) assessment is in September, post-test and follow-up assessments take place in early January and late April 2019. An increase in scores indicates better outcomes (i.e., positive change) over time.

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

N/A and Older

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Inclusion Criteria:

Elementary and middle school math teachers
Students grades 2-8

Exclusion Criteria:

n/a

Contacts and Locations

Locations

	Site	City	State	Country	Postal Code
1	University of Tennessee Knoxville	Knoxville	Tennessee	United States	37996-3531

Sponsors and Collaborators

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Investigators

Principal Investigator: Julia Jaekel, PhD, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Study Documents (Full-Text)

None provided.

More Information

Publications

None provided.

Responsible Party:

Julia Jaekel, Associate Professor, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:

NCT03706144

Other Study ID Numbers:

UTK IRB-18-04338-XM

First Posted:

Oct 15, 2018

Last Update Posted:

Mar 24, 2020

Last Verified:

Mar 1, 2020

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

Plan to Share IPD:

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:

Study Results

No Results Posted as of Mar 24, 2020