Evaluation for 6.1a
Materials provide opportunities for students to think mathematically, persevere through solving problems, and to make sense of mathematics.
In the “Adaptive Pathway” and “Adaptive Practice” assignments, the materials include the AI Math Coach to support students in thinking mathematically and persevering through problem-solving. For example, in a grade 7 question, students must identify the constant rate of change from a graph. When a student answers incorrectly, the AI Math Coach states, “Remember, the unit rate on a graph is the slope: change in
y over change in
x. Pick two clear points on the line such as the origin and another grid point, then compare how much
y changes to how much
x changes. Does your answer match that ratio?” The scaffold helps students persevere in solving the problem by prompting them to consider the mathematical concept of negative numbers.
The materials provide support for persevering in mathematics with the AI Math Coach. For example, grade 7 students working on assignments receive reminders of support with the prompt “Explain this differently.” If a student is stuck on converting between systems of measurement, they can select “Break this down for me,” and the AI Math Coach will provide steps on how to solve such as “Use unit cancellation. Choose a fraction that cancels
m and leaves
mi, then a fraction that cancels
s and leaves
hr in the denominator. Which choice ends in
mi/
hr?” If the student answers correctly, the AI Math Coach provides encouraging phrases to affirm the student’s progress such as “Correct! You’re on fire.”
Additionally, the AI Math Coach provides prompt selections for student support. The following prompts are examples of what students see when they are solving word problems in grade 7 pathways, which provide opportunities for students to make sense of mathematics: “Is there an easier way?” “Break this down for me,” and “What should I try?” By selecting “Is there an easier way?” students receive step-by-step instructions such as “Yes. Think of each chapter as a group of 10 pages. Ask: how many groups of 10 fit into the number of pages Adam reads in one day? That tells you the chapters per day.”