Researchers have developed a test that uses children’s ability to assemble LEGO pieces to assess their spatial visualization ability. Spatial visualization is the ability to visualize 3D shapes in one’s mind, which is tied to increased GPAs and graduation rates in STEM college students. One tool to increase spatial visualization skills among college students is…

Researchers recently conducted a study focusing on Babbel, a popular subscription-based language learning app and e-learning platform, to see if it really worked at teaching a new language. That is a question Shawn Loewen, professor in the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages at Michigan State University, is trying to answer.…

Intelligent tutoring systems have been shown to be effective in helping to teach certain subjects, such as algebra or grammar, but creating these computerized systems is difficult and laborious. Now, researchers have shown they can rapidly build them by, in effect, teaching the computer to teach. Using a new method that employs artificial intelligence, a…

Despite the time spent with smartphones and social media, young people today are just as socially skilled as those from the previous generation, a new study suggests. Researchers compared teacher and parent evaluations of children who started kindergarten in 1998 — six years before Facebook launched — with those who began school in 2010, when…

Students learned just as much in online STEM college courses as they did in traditional classroom settings, and at a fraction of the cost, according to a first-of-its-kind study. The study tracked more than 300 students in Russia, where top universities standardize online classes for use by institutions with fewer resources. It has important implications…

Research has shown that students who use digital technology excessively are less motivated to engage with their studies, and are more anxious about tests. This effect was made worse by the increased feelings of loneliness that use of digital technology produced. Two hundred and eighty-five university students, enrolled on a range of health-related degree courses,…

How can mathematics learning in primary school be facilitated? Scientists have developed an intervention to promote the learning of math in school. Named ACE-ArithmEcole, the program is designed to help schoolchildren surpass their intuitions and rely instead on the use of arithmetic principles. More than half (50.5%) of the students who took part in the…

Researchers found that digital storybooks that animate upon a child’s vocalization offer beneficial learning opportunities, especially for children with less developed attention regulation. «Digital platforms have exploded in popularity, and a huge proportion of the top-selling apps are educational interfaces for children,» said Erik Thiessen, associate professor of Psychology at CMU’s Dietrich College of Humanities…

New research comprehensively examined the brain development of young boys and girls. Their research shows no gender difference in brain function or math ability. Jessica Cantlon at Carnegie Mellon University led a research team that comprehensively examined the brain development of young boys and girls. Their research shows no gender difference in brain function or…

Physicists and educators have developed a curriculum for college-level students that shows promise in helping students in introductory physics classes further practice and develop their calculus skills. Now, a team of physicists and educators at the University of Kansas has developed a curriculum for college-level students that shows promise in helping students in introductory physics…