Taking the terror out of story problems
Story problems can be intimidating. Students often don’t know where to begin. That’s where Algebrakit can help. Our math engine does more than just correct a final answer. Instead, Algebrakit responds to student input and gives hints to get them thinking conceptually about a story problem. That’s important because before a student can solve a problem they must transform it from something in the real world to mathematics.
Only Algebrakit helps students think through the steps
The process of modeling is often overlooked when designing online math solutions. While story problems are common in traditional textbooks, they are less common in online solutions because most math engines are designed to only accept a final answer. But Algebrakit’s sophisticated question technology is built from the ground up to not just correct answers but to guide students as they model a story problem. This guides students to think through the steps in solving a problem. Other math engines just aren’t able to do this. Instead they have to give students a series of steps, bypassing one of the most important skills students must develop: mathematical modeling. Algebrakit encourages mathematical modeling and walks students through the process. If they are stuck, they can get hints on what to do next. As the student works through the problem, Algebrakit responds intelligently to student strategies, even if they choose to solve the steps in an unexpected order. That’s incredible!
Let’s look at an example. The student is presented with the following visual.
Zero to hero. Algebrakit walks through a problem with the student.
The question below starts with an empty worksheet. The student is challenged to find the solution on their own. They do not have to calculate the result immediately, but can write the formal rule of Pythagoras first. Algebrakit understands what the student is doing and suggests substituting the values in the Pythagorean theorem.
A complete solution would look like the following.
Multi-layered hints help students at every step.
If the student is not able to solve the problem on their own, Algebrakit offers multi-layered hints. These hints start at the conceptual level (what to calculate or which theorem to use), then move to mathematical modeling (formulate as a math problem), and finally the procedural skills.
1. A high-level hint: Use Pythagoras’ Theorem
2. A mathematical modeling hint: Show the formula corresponding to Pythagoras’ Theorem.
3. A procedural hint: Substitute the known values
Are you ready to give it a try?
No other math engine is able to offer this kind of formative feedback on student work. Only Algebrakit’s powerful AI can meet students at their level and guide them through the learning process with contextual hints and feedback. Are you ready to give it a try? Below, is the exercise. See how far you get and how Algebrakit helps you when you get stuck!
How did you do?
Algebrakit’s hints provide students with a ladder to success.
Adding this powerful functionality to your existing content is straightforward. Our authoring environment allows you to choose from thousands of exercises in our library. Every aspect of the exercises can be edited. Or you can start from scratch and author exercises in all major mathematical subjects. Once your exercise is ready, you only need to drop an exercise ID into your content and Algebrakit will do the rest.
Ready to take the next step? Contact us for a free demo.