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Navigating Math Education in the Digital Age: A Review of Leading Apps
- darlarosy5
- May 8, 2024
- 3 min read
By Rosy Darla and Ruby Wang
In today's digital age, educational applications have become increasingly popular to supplement traditional classroom instruction. With their engaging and interactive nature, they have the potential to transform the way students learn and master mathematical concepts. In our lab, we are passionate about educational technology.
Our team aims to identify applications that foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for mathematical principles. Join us on this journey as we evaluate the effectiveness of math educational applications.
Table of Contents
Apps Featured in this Review
Methodology
Best App Overall: Khan Academy
Strength and Weakness
Conclusion
1. Apps Featured in this Review
01 Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a renowned non-profit educational organization created with the mission to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Khan Academy offers a vast array of instructional videos, practice exercises, and personalized learning dashboards across subjects ranging from mathematics and science to humanities, catering to learners from kindergarten to early college levels.
02 Brilliant
Brilliant is an interactive online learning platform specializing in math, science, and computer science. It fosters problem-solving and critical thinking skills through hands-on learning and interactive content. Unlike traditional educational resources, Brilliant focuses on active learning by guiding users through complex concepts via storytelling and interactive problems.
03 Socratic
Need to get unstuck? Socratic can help! Socratic, powered by Google AI, helps you understand your school work at the high school and university levels. Ask Socratic a question and the app will find the best online resources for you to learn the concepts.
04 IXL
IXL is a personalized learning platform widely recognized for its innovative approach to fostering educational growth across a range of subjects, including mathematics, language arts, science, and social studies. Designed to cater to students from pre-K to 12th grade, IXL offers a unique blend of interactive questions, real-time diagnostic tools, and tailored recommendations to meet individual learning needs.
05 Photomath
PhotoMath is a mobile app designed to solve mathematical problems using your smartphone's camera, making it a powerful tool for students and educators. By simply pointing the camera toward a handwritten or printed math problem, PhotoMath instantly provides step-by-step solutions, explanations, and interactive graphs. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus and algebra, facilitating a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
2. Methodology
Our approach began with app reviews, assessing the educational math apps to understand their core functionalities and educational strategies. Following this, a detailed feature analysis was conducted to dissect the apps' capabilities, from adaptive learning algorithms to interactive problem-solving features.
App Review
We aimed to assess math apps tailored for college students and beyond, focusing on mobile platforms for our analysis. Given our interest, we concentrated our search on apps available in the Apple Store.
Feature Analysis
With our apps selected, we began listing the features available in the apps that were in the free version and categorized them.
Our categories were: Subjects, Instruction and Exploration, Search methods, Multi-Representational Learning, Motivation and Acknowledgement, Progress / Tracking, Personalized Guidance, Classroom Integration, Community, Career-related / applied material, Accessibility, Feedback, and Miscellaneous.
We then rated features on a scale of 1-5 and color-coded those values.
See the full Feature Analysis Table
User Assumption
Our user assumptions were based on our hypotheses, a review of existing literature, and desk research. Due to limitations, we could not conduct formal persona validation; instead, we depended on our insights to get a well-rounded list.
See the full User Assumption Table
Feature Need Mapping
With the list of our user needs, we mapped the features to the user needs they applied to (if there was a fit at all), and added up the feature scores that applied to each user need for a total need score. Each need had a different score of features mapped to it, so each need had a different amount of total available points. For interpretability, these points were scaled to 10 so each need score could be presented as a score out of 10.
See the full Feature Need Mapping
Below the mapping sheet, the calculation of need-scores for each app can be seen.
Here is the Need Score C omparison Table, with the scores scaled out of ten.
3. Best App Overall: Khan Academy
In our analysis, we grouped individual needs into overarching user goals and devised a goal score to quantify their importance. Instead of simply averaging the scaled need scores, we calculated goal scores by dividing the total unscaled points by the total possible points and multiplying them by 10. Although imperfect, this method reduced the need for subjective weighting, aligning with our reliance on assumptions rather than validated user insights. This technique ensured a fair representation of user goals.
Khan Academy is the best educational app out of the five apps analyzed. Our findings show that Khan Academy consistently outperforms its competitors across all analyzed user goals, with the exception of accessibility, as shown in the Need Scores Comparison Table above.
Key Features
Learning Progress Tracking
Khan Academy enhances the learning experience with detailed feedback and progress-tracking tools, allowing for real-time monitoring of learning progress. This includes reports on skill mastery, areas for improvement, and goal-setting capabilities, which are invaluable for guiding learners and enabling educators to support their students effectively.
Multi-representational approach to learning
The platform's multi-representational approach to learning and motivational systems, such as energy points, streaks, and badges, not only engages learners but also significantly improves educational outcomes.
In conclusion, Khan Academy’s comprehensive resources, commitment to free education, and emphasis on personalized learning distinguish it from its competitors. Excelling in educational outcomes and learning experience, Khan Academy firmly establishes itself as the optimal app, embodying its vision of offering anyone anywhere a free, world-class education.
4. Strength and Weakness
Khan Academy, Brilliant, Socratic by Google, IXL, and Photomath each offer unique educational experiences and tools. While one may excel in certain areas, others might better meet specific learning needs or preferences. Exploring the distinct advantages and potential limitations helps learners identify the most suitable app for their individual requirements, whether seeking comprehensive math education, interactive problem-solving, personalized learning paths, or real-world application of mathematical concepts.
Brilliant
Strengths
Interactive Problem-Solving
Brilliant makes complex concepts accessible through interactive and multi-representative exercises (e.g., representing functions in various ways, animated steps). This hands-on approach caters well to learners who thrive on active engagement.
Motivation and Acknowledgement
Brilliant excels in keeping users motivated and acknowledged for their learning progress. Brilliant’s personalized notification and reminder system effectively keeps learners on track with their educational goals. The app gamifies the learning experience by awarding experience points for completed lessons.
Weakness
Weaknesses
Subscription Dependency
Access to Brilliant’s full suite of features requires a paid subscription, potentially limiting its accessibility to users unable or unwilling to invest financially.
Limited Community Interaction
Brilliant lacks deeper community engagement features, such as forums or direct messaging, limiting opportunities for learners to collaborate, discuss concepts, or share insights directly within the app.
Socratic
Strengths
Homework Assistance
Socratic provides immediate help with homework questions across various subjects, making it a resource for students seeking explanations and solutions. Its use of AI to interpret questions and find relevant answers enhances its effectiveness.
Free and Accessible
Being a free app, Socratic is accessible to many students, democratizing access to educational support.
Weakness
Limitations in building educational foundations
While its strength lies in academic assistance, Socratic’s utility is primarily reactive, addressing specific questions rather than providing a comprehensive educational foundation or curriculum.
Limited Interactive Learning
The app’s format may not fully engage users looking for an interactive learning experience, as it primarily directs students to existing online resources.
IXL
Strengths
Comprehensive curriculum
IXL offers a wide range of subjects, making it a comprehensive tool for educational enrichment across grade levels.
Personalized Learning Experience
With technology that adapts to the learner’s performance, IXL personalizes practice questions to meet individual needs and provides real-time feedback on answers.
Weaknesses
Perceived Repetitiveness
Some learners might find IXL’s practice sessions repetitive, potentially affecting engagement over time, especially among younger users who may prefer more varied and interactive content.
Subscription Model
Access to the full range of subjects and levels requires a subscription, which might not be feasible for all users.
Photomath
Strengths
Instantaneous Help with Math Problems
Phot omath offered step-by-step solutions to mathematical problems captured by the user’s camera. This feature is beneficial for students needing quick assistance with math homework.
Self-Paced Learning
The app supports learning at an individual’s pace, accommodating users with varying levels of understanding. Detailed explanations for each step ensure comprehension beyond just obtaining the answer.
Weaknesses
Focus Limited to Mathematics
Photomath’s singular focus does not cater to students seeking help in other academic subjects.
Risk of Dependency
There is a concern that students might become overly reliant on Photomath for answers without engaging deeply with the learning process, potentially hindering the development of independent problem-solving skills.
5. Conclusion
In this project, we have focused on five educational apps: Khan Academy, Brilliant, Socratic, IXL, and Photomath. Despite their diverse approaches and target audiences, each app contributes uniquely to the education ecosystem, demonstrating the transformative power of interactive learning in enhancing mathematical understanding and academic success.
Our goal for this project is to emphasize the importance of continuous innovation and inclusivity in educational technology, ensuring that learners worldwide have access to quality education tailored to their needs and preferences.
We hope you can explore these educational resources and discover the most suitable way to enhance your knowledge. Whether you aim to improve your math abilities or venture into new areas of study, there's an app tailored to your educational pursuits. The journey towards knowledge is one of the most rewarding adventures you can embark on. Let's celebrate the joy of learning and unlock our full potential together!
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