Using Digital Teaching and Learning Tools to Extend Educational Opportunities Beyond the Traditional Day School

Algebra is recognized as a prerequisite for both the study of higher level mathematics in high school and advanced study in mathematics and science in college. Fields as varied as finance, photography, economics, biology, and construction all require an understanding of basic algebra. While some students have the foundation skills needed to be successful in an introductory course for advanced mathematics, many do not. The purpose of this study was to determine whether instructional screencasts, designed in alignment with Mayer’s theory of multimedia learning, provided an effective means to support students’ mastery of introductory algebra concepts. The population for this study was a group of 103 eighth grade Algebra-1 students who received algebra instruction from the same teacher. The analysis revealed that viewing instructional screencasts did not result in statistically significant increased algebra proficiency as measured by grades on weekly tests; however, survey data showed that nearly 80% of students felt viewing screencasts was beneficial