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Learning Mathematics in a Visuospatial Format: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Mental Abacus Instruction
David Barner1, George Alvarez2, Jessica Sullivan3
1University of California, San Diego.
Child Development
|April 11, 2016
Summary
Mental abacus (MA) training improved elementary students' arithmetic skills in classrooms. Early spatial working memory predicted learning, but MA did not alter cognitive abilities.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Mental abacus (MA) expertise enables rapid, accurate calculations.
- MA experts demonstrate remarkable arithmetic abilities.
- The potential for MA acquisition in educational settings is unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if MA expertise can be acquired in standard classrooms.
- To assess if MA training enhances mathematical abilities beyond standard curricula.
- To investigate the relationship between MA expertise and cognitive capacities like working memory.
Main Methods:
- A 3-year randomized controlled trial involving 204 elementary students (ages 5-7).
- Comparison of MA-trained students against a control group.
- Assessment of arithmetic performance and cognitive abilities, including spatial working memory.
Main Results:
- MA students significantly outperformed control students on arithmetic tasks.
- MA expertise was successfully acquired within standard classroom settings.
- No significant changes in basic cognitive abilities were observed post-training.
Conclusions:
- MA training is an effective method for improving children's arithmetic skills in schools.
- Initial spatial working memory capacity, not MA training itself, influenced learning outcomes.
- MA expertise development is linked to pre-existing spatial cognitive strengths.
