UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

INNOVATIONS IN LEARNING AND TEACHING

ASSIGNMENT 3: Technical Report 2 (Project Progress)

PREPARED BY:

USHA DEVI A/P LINGAPPAN MPP171035

PAVALAKODI A/P SUBRAMANIAM MPP171032

NAVAMALAR A/P K KANASAN MPP182027

PREPARED FOR:

Assoc.Prof Dr Aede Hatib Musta’amal @ Jamal

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TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENT PAGE

1.0 DEMONSTRATE REQUIREMENT DEVELOPMENT 3-4

2.0 PROPOSING MULTIPLE METHODS OF SOLUTION 5

3.0 SELECTING THE MOST APPROPRIATE METHOD 6

4.0 APPLYING METHOD TO GENERATE RESULTS 7-8

5.0 ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION 9

6.0 REFERENCES 10

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1.0 DEMONSTRATE REQUIREMENT DEVELOPMENT

Elementary school and kindergarten students with learning disabilities (dyscalculia)

often struggle to learn math. They have trouble counting, naming numbers, remembering
numbers, and writing them down. This basic problem is called "number sense." "Number
sense" is to math what "reading comprehension" is to reading.1 Students with learning
disabilities, particularly dyscalculia, have less "number sense" than their non-disabled peers.
Students with trouble in "number sense" have a great deal of difficulty conceptualizing
mathematics. So, even though some children might memorize that 6 X 8 equals 48, they
might not understand that six packages of hot dog buns (8 per pack) is the same as having
forty-eight buns.

Sensing numbers is the most prominent element in mathematics learning. As a teacher, I

observe that my elementary students having trouble learning to count and remember numbers
in the right order. Besides that, struggles to recognize patterns, such as smallest to largest or
tallest to shortest and recognizing number symbols (knowing that “7” means seven). Lastly,
they don’t seem to understand the meaning of counting. For example, when asked for five
blocks, she just hands you an armful, rather than counting them out.

. The first reason is, students are not exposed or not given importance to numbers at

their early age like children who are not sent to kindergarten or taught at home. This results

in the failure to grasp and remember the numbers that they have learned in kindergarten. The

second problem is teachers failed to recognise maths disabilities students at the early stage.

Those who are not able to do maths are categorised as weak students. Lastly, lack of suitable

teaching tools for these maths disability students also one of the reason.

Students who do not learn math often have trouble later with managing their money.

So, teachers give the students concrete experiences in math. Teach them their skills until they

master them. And talk to them in mathematical language and be sure they understand it. This

will make a major difference in their lives. Research on mathematics with students with

disabilities is starting to increase in number and quality. So, teachers are to keep abreast with

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the new findings. Teachers are to find and utilize the fondness and interest pupils have with

technology. Help students succeed beyond what were once considered reasonable

expectations. Based on this impression, the idea for an LED number sense (JUNKIE KIT) was

established by us.

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2.0 PROPOSING MULTIPLE METHODS OF SOLUTION

The difficulty of number sensing by dyscalculia students has multiple solutions and

has been used widely among many teachers around the world. Many fun ways have been

integrated in teaching and learning process so as to ease the students’ to remember the

numbers. Not only that, teachers have been striving hard to encourage students for self-

learning where they would have the interest and understand the importance of learning

numbers. Till now among many methods of solutions to number sensing is using Pictionary,

flash cards, fun games through apps, reading more numbers, listening to songs and filling the

missing blanks. All these are integrated during Maths lessons. Pictionary has been one of the

earliest traditional method used in learning numbers but most learners are heavily burdened

with laziness. Apart from in-class activities, teachers also take students out for a walk around

school and identify numbers. These kinds of activities are encouraging and draw a lot of

attention from students but not many learners learn numbers and remember them. Number

learning is a self-attained with a lot of independence required. As our world is running

towards high technology, students are more prone to using social media and social platforms,

even for learning. Lee Su Kim (2003) mentions that, “understanding learners’ struggles in

learning the Maths language involves not just his/her difficulties in the classroom but also an

awareness of how sociocultural meanings are linked in complicated ways to sociocultural

identities. Therefore, teaching numbers should also vary from time to time.

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3.0 SELECTING THE MOST APPROPRIATE METHOD

There are several factors contributing to the development of numbers, which are the

opportunity to use it, building rational understanding, in orders, making precise elaboration

like larger and smaller, understand with the context, background knowledge. A method used

in teaching numbers has to include all these factors so as to help student learn in a proper and

standard manner which will bring good results. Of many other ways to teach numbers, we

have incorporated these factors in the making of Number Sense Junkie which would help

establish students’ perception thus their use of numbers. Vygotskys’ Constructivist Theory

explains that learning happens better when it is learner-centered approach where the teacher

only guides learners’ learning. In this case, as a process of selecting the most appropriate

method for teaching numbers, we wanted to integrate self-learning where the teacher has to

only input data using a disc and upon that all learning and initiative is seen done by students.

Not only that, it is challenging to attract students’ attention in learning of which is why to

make it more lively, we decided to incorporate technology in this project. Many other

methods as mentioned earlier have been used but implementing similar traditional ways of

teaching can bore students, even the teachers themselves. Lights and colours are an excellent

way to keep one learning with interest. Even elderly people can get attracted with colours,

why not use these colours to keep students’ attention as the main objective of our project is to

get students learn numbers on their own, of course with the help of teacher according to the

syllabus as well. The LED fan used in this project can be easily set up following the user

manual prepared. Although many other approaches are being followed throughout the world,

we believe that self-learning integrated with lights and colours will bring a new impact on

students.

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4.0 APPLYING METHOD TO GENERATE RESULTS

In order to begin this project, we had first survey the price for the materials. The LED

fan was one of the toughest choices to make as they vary in size and prize. On the first week

of this project, we visited many malls and electronic shops in Johor as well as Singapore.

Throughout our survey, we decided to consider the size which will fit the box and also

something affordable for schools or teachers to purchase. Upon deciding, we bought the LED

fans in one of the electronic shops in Johor. Other materials, such as the bag, colour paper,

mounting board, hot glue gun, DIY related to numbers were all purchased at a DIY and

stationary shop. These materials were gathered by week 3 of the project.

The LED fan set includes a CD, USB cable to transfer the data from the CD to the fan

and the fan itself. First of all, to input the data in the program in CD, we used a laptop and the

list of numbers (1 to 10) to be taught to students. The program is designed in such a way that

data can easily be input and even steps are given at a different file in the same CD. Upon

following the steps, all numbers were set (ascending and descending) in the fan and then the

USB cable is used to transfer the data into the fan. As we are using three LED fans, the

process to input data took about an hour plus.

The following week, we concentrated in the completing the bag (Junkie Kit), the

supplement for the LED fan. We draft the suitable and appropriate elements to be filled in the

bag to be used in classes. We considered many things in the making of this project, such as,

the size of the bag, the need of electric power, the amount of usage by learners, the number of

numbers students can learn in a given time, the flexibility of carrying the box around the class

and the self-learning theory. We purchased an adjustable cosmetic bag for this project. First,

we print out numbers in different fonts and laminate it. Then we used a stick to paste the

cards. This process took a very long time for us to complete. After that, DIY materials like

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number jigsaw puzzle, dot-to-dot, marbles, ice-cream sticks and blank A4 paper laminated

(functions as mini whiteboard) were prepared. Besides that, stationaries like marker pens,

duster and Velcro also placed in the bag. The bag was labelled NUMBER SENSE JUNKIE

KIT by using laminated colourful paper. At least 65% of the project has been done for now.

The initial plan of this project was to use 4 LED fans but it appeared to be too

congested and overwhelming in the bag. Therefore, we decided to use only 3 fans which

would create enough space for the fan. Not only that, we planned to use a basket from DIY to

place all the junkie kits but it was really congested and unorganised. Furthermore, it will not

be convenient to the teacher to carry to the classroom. Therefore, an idea popped up when

scrolling down the Lazada’s products, the cosmetic bag. It is portable, light and convenient

for the teacher to carry all in one bag. Due to this, the project takes a very long time to finish

because of the delay in delivery of the bag by Lazada. The need to ensure getting the bag on

time is very important so as it will be tried by teachers as a part of our evaluation.

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5.0 ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION

Another useful method in teaching numbers involves the use of colour. This

methodology has been tested by Gnoinska (1998), an Mathematics teacher working at the

Teacher Training College in Sosnowiec, Poland. The classroom research conducted by her

using colour to teach numbers gave fruitful results. The article published by her in the online

journal “Forum” (Volume 36 No: 3, July-September1998, page 12) focuses on this concept.

According to her, colours have a tremendous influence on human health and psyche. Lack or

overabundance of certain colours can cause physical or emotional disorders. Exposure to

colour vibrations is used in the treatment of a number of diseases and mental problems.

Colour is also an important tool in visual thinking. It separates ideas so that they can be seen

more clearly. It stimulates creativity. Colour captures and directs attention. Even

conventionally outlined notes can benefit from colour coding; maps, cluster maps, mandalas

and most expressive drawings are considerably more effective in colour (Williams, 1983).

In addition to the findings, we came to a conclusion to implement LED lights to play

the role of colours. This way, students will be intrigued and be taken one step higher on the

platform of using colours to enhance students’ vocabulary learning process. Using colour in a

number of ways produces similar results. Students concentrate better, spending more time

processing a word and find learning more interesting and pleasant. Colour is useful in

learning and revising, as well as making students and teachers become aware of the ways in

which they should approach certain task. Colouring words helps learners to concentrate on

the task and extends the time and attention learners give to each numbers to be learnt.

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6.0 REFERENCES

 Lee Su Kim. (2003). Multiple identities in a multicultural world: A Malaysian

perspective. Journal of Mathematics, Identity and Education, 2(3), 137-158.

 Williams, L. (1983). Teaching for the two-sided mind. New York: Simon & Schuster.

 Dalton, B. and Grisham, D. L. (2011), eVoc Strategies: 10 Ways to Use Technology to

Buils Number Sensing . The Reading Teacher, 64: 306–317

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APPENDICES

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