Mathware

Recently in my computer applications class, we researched academic software in education. I decided to look into it more and see what impact it had on subjects taught in the classroom setting, more particularly math. The overall feeling that I found was that it positively changed the classroom. By that I mean that students became more interested in learning about subject

areas, and especially became more interested in mathematics which is an area that students often dislike. It also is very helpful when working with students who might be struggling with a certain concept, because it gives them a different way to view the material. Another great aspect about academic software is that it promotes self-learning with students because they have to read directions and figure the problems out themselves.

The main way it interests students in math and other subject areas is because it presents information either as a game, or in some interactive manner that really grabs the student’s attention. The one advantage to playing a game however; is that it “tricks” students into learning. By that I mean that students learn the concepts you want them to, but they don’t really think of learning the concepts through the game as learning. Some games that are great examples of this are:

Jet ski Addition
Cash Out
Arrhythmic Four

Academic software can accomplish more concepts than the ones shown above and is very accessible online.


I think that academic software when applied correctly can greatly enhance my ability as a teacher in the future. I believe that getting students more interested in the subjects being taught is the key to their success. I also think that this is a wonderful tool that all teachers should take advantage of.