IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jmathe/v8y2020i9p1556-d411524.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Measuring Arithmetic Word Problem Complexity through Reading Comprehension and Learning Analytics

Author

Listed:
  • Maria T. Sanz

    (Department of Didactics of Mathematics, Universitat de València, Av. Tarongers 4, 46022 València, Spain)

  • Emilia López-Iñesta

    (Department of Didactics of Mathematics, Universitat de València, Av. Tarongers 4, 46022 València, Spain)

  • Daniel Garcia-Costa

    (Computer Science Department, Universitat de València, Av. de la Universitat s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Spain)

  • Francisco Grimaldo

    (Computer Science Department, Universitat de València, Av. de la Universitat s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Spain)

Abstract

Numerous studies have addressed the relationship between performance in mathematics problem-solving and reading comprehension in students of all educational levels. This work presents a new proposal to measure the complexity of arithmetic word problems through the student reading comprehension of the problem statement and the use of learning analytics. The procedure to quantify this reading comprehension comprises two phases: (a) the division of the statement into propositions and (b) the computation of the time dedicated to read each proposition through a technological environment that records the interactions of the students while solving the problem. We validated our approach by selecting a collection of problems containing mathematical concepts related to fractions and their different meanings, such as fractional numbers over a natural number, basic mathematical operations with a natural whole or fractional whole and the fraction as an operator. The main results indicate that a student’s reading time is an excellent proxy to determine the complexity of both propositions and the complete statement. Finally, we used this time to build a logistic regression model that predicts the success of students in solving arithmetic word problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria T. Sanz & Emilia López-Iñesta & Daniel Garcia-Costa & Francisco Grimaldo, 2020. "Measuring Arithmetic Word Problem Complexity through Reading Comprehension and Learning Analytics," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-13, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:8:y:2020:i:9:p:1556-:d:411524
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/8/9/1556/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/8/9/1556/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Santiago Alonso-García & Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz & María-Pilar Cáceres-Reche & Juan-Manuel Trujillo-Torres & José-María Romero-Rodríguez, 2019. "Systematic Review of Good Teaching Practices with ICT in Spanish Higher Education. Trends and Challenges for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Esther Garzón Artacho & Tomás Sola Martínez & José Luís Ortega Martín & José Antonio Marín Marín & Gerardo Gómez García, 2020. "Teacher Training in Lifelong Learning—The Importance of Digital Competence in the Encouragement of Teaching Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-13, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ovidiu Deaconu & Adrian Marius Deaconu & Gabriela Cristina Chitonu & Daniel Taus, 2022. "The Online Teaching System as a Sustainable Way of Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    2. José-María Romero-Rodríguez & Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz & Francisco-Javier Hinojo-Lucena & María-Pilar Cáceres-Reche, 2020. "Models of good teaching practices for mobile learning in higher education," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-7, December.
    3. Gerardo Gómez-García & Francisco-Javier Hinojo-Lucena & María-Pilar Cáceres-Reche & Magdalena Ramos Navas-Parejo, 2020. "The Contribution of the Flipped Classroom Method to the Development of Information Literacy: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Lavinia Dovleac & Ioana Bianca Chițu & Eliza Nichifor & Gabriel Brătucu, 2023. "Shaping the Inclusivity in the New Society by Enhancing the Digitainability of Sustainable Development Goals with Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-14, February.
    5. Ronghuai Huang & Ahmed Tlili & Huanhuan Wang & Yihong Shi & Curtis J. Bonk & Junfeng Yang & Daniel Burgos, 2021. "Emergence of the Online-Merge-Offline (OMO) Learning Wave in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Pilot Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    6. Francisco-Ignacio Revuelta-Domínguez & Jorge Guerra-Antequera & Alicia González-Pérez & María-Inmaculada Pedrera-Rodríguez & Alberto González-Fernández, 2022. "Digital Teaching Competence: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, May.
    7. Lorena Martín-Párraga & Carmen Llorente-Cejudo & Julio Barroso-Osuna, 2023. "Self-Perception of Digital Competence in University Lecturers: A Comparative Study between Universities in Spain and Peru According to the DigCompEdu Model," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-14, June.
    8. José Juan Carrión-Martínez & Antonio Luque-de la Rosa & José Fernández-Cerero & Marta Montenegro-Rueda, 2020. "Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in Education for Sustainable Development: A Bibliographic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-12, April.
    9. Marta Montenegro-Rueda & José Fernández-Cerero, 2023. "Digital Competence of Special Education Teachers: An Analysis from the Voices of Members of School Management Teams," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, March.
    10. Sungjin Park & Sangkyun Kim, 2021. "Is Sustainable Online Learning Possible with Gamification?—The Effect of Gamified Online Learning on Student Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-12, April.
    11. Erika González García & Ernesto Colomo Magaña & Andrea Cívico Ariza, 2020. "Quality Education as a Sustainable Development Goal in the Context of 2030 Agenda: Bibliometric Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-18, July.
    12. Wajeeh Daher & Juhaina Awawdeh Shahbari, 2020. "Secondary Students’ Identities in the Virtual Classroom," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-13, May.
    13. Melchor Gómez-García & Hossein Hossein-Mohand & Juan Manuel Trujillo-Torres & Hassan Hossein-Mohand, 2020. "The Training and Use of ICT in Teaching Perceptions of Melilla’s (Spain) Mathematics Teachers," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-19, September.
    14. Pablo Fernández-Arias & Álvaro Antón-Sancho & Diego Vergara & Amelia Barrientos, 2021. "Soft Skills of American University Teachers: Self-Concept," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-25, November.
    15. Jesús Maya & Jesús Maraver, 2020. "Teaching-Learning Processes: Application of Educational Psychodrama in the University Setting," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-17, June.
    16. Rebeca Soler-Costa & Pablo Lafarga-Ostáriz & Marta Mauri-Medrano & Antonio-José Moreno-Guerrero, 2021. "Netiquette: Ethic, Education, and Behavior on Internet—A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-15, January.
    17. Carmen Romero-García & Olga Buzón-García & Patricia de Paz-Lugo, 2020. "Improving Future Teachers’ Digital Competence Using Active Methodologies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-15, September.
    18. José-María Álvarez-Martínez-Iglesias & Francisco-Javier Trigueros-Cano & Pedro Miralles-Martínez & Jesús Molina-Saorín, 2020. "Assessment by Competences in Social Sciences: Secondary Students Perception Based on the EPECOCISO Scale," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-15, December.
    19. Antonio-José Moreno-Guerrero & Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz & Pilar Cáceres-Reche & Santiago Alonso-García, 2020. "E-Learning in the Teaching of Mathematics: An Educational Experience in Adult High School," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-16, May.
    20. Fabiano Scriptore de Carvalho & Luiz Alberto Pilatti & Hilda Alberton de Carvalho & Isaura Alberton de Lima, 2023. "Information and Communication Technology in Brazilian Public Schools: A Sustainable Legacy of the Pandemic?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-14, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:8:y:2020:i:9:p:1556-:d:411524. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.