Confluence of Declining Math Ability
Dear Friends and Students
Jan 17, 2012, the Times of India published an article “Reading, maths ability declining in kids: Survey”. The national figure for the proportion of children in standard V able to read standard II texts dropped from 53.7% (2010) to 48.2(2011). In the case of arithmetic, there are far more worrying signs. The proportion of standard III children who can solve a two-digit subtraction problem with borrowing dropped from 36.3% (2010) to 29.9% (2011)”. This was a decade-back story in India. I don’t have the latest data. I am sure post corona, numbers might have fallen to similar levels.
Now let us hear the story of the USA. In 2022, the National Centre for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted a special administration of the NAEP long-term trend (LTT) reading and mathematics assessments for age 9 students to examine student achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Average scores for age 9 students in 2022 declined by 5 points in reading and 7 points in mathematics compared to 2020. This is the largest average score decline in reading since 1990, and the first-ever score decline in mathematics (https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=38)
In Europe, looking at reading performance over a longer time span, performance did not significantly change in most countries between 2009 and 2018. The EU average performance in mathematics remained stable also over 2009-2018, although trends differ across Member States (education.ec.europa.eu/)
On the other side, the researchers found that “routine and frequent use of mobile devices appear to be associated with behavioral problems in childhood.” (Concordia University). This is also another reason for the performance drop. When someone is watching excessive video content, obviously the reading performance drops. The thinking ability or Math ability dips! This is a natural consequence. The question is not about particular performance during time and country. In general, there is no big positive story over time!
While we are talking about one extreme, the other extreme looks completely different. Now we are talking about AI as a Teacher. Harvard's New Computer Science Teacher Is a Chatbot!! True, I am not kidding! Starting this fall, the most prestigious Computer Science 50: Introduction to Computer Science (CS50) will be encouraged to use AI to help them debug code, give feedback on their designs, and answer individual questions about error messages and unfamiliar lines of code. The new approach will not use ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot, both of which are popular among programmers. Malan says the tools are "currently too helpful." Instead, Harvard has developed its own large language model, a "CS50 bot" that will be "similar in spirit," but will focus on "leading students toward an answer rather than handing it to them,” he says. I am sure this is going to be a future model across the world.
When a kid is having so many diversions and AI becomes a teacher for such kids, how do math and reading abilities impact? It is the million-dollar question. How do we see this convergence? How do we read these extreme situations across the world? How does it impact an underperformer and a superior performer? This is going to be an interesting research problem for social scientists.
Everybody has a solution but we are not able to implement it because we are also partly succumbed to these extremes. It is the responsibility of parents to handle their individual cases. That is the only feasible solution rather than suggesting large-scale systems and processes!
Parents, be mindful of your child's growth and ensure a balanced approach to technology to promote their well-being and development.
Ravi Saripalle
Note: Opinions expressed by authors are their own.
Pic credits: Pixabay
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
View Details
Like
0 Comments
Repost
You may also like
Bhanumurthy
Published 7d+
Journey Beyond Horizons: Exploring the Soul of Travel
Great things can be achieved only by the people who dare to dream and even sacrifice life in the process. They change the world to a Volatile form and because of this world survives better than in its
EdGe: Your Academic Co-pilot
Published 7d+
All About SASTRA
SASTRA University: A Premier Destination for Quality EducationSASTRA Deemed University, officially known as Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy, is a top-tier institution located
EdGe: Your Academic Co-pilot
Published 7d+
A Journey of Inspiration with G.Srinivas Sir
At Edgroom, we celebrate incredible educators who inspire and empower their students. Today, we honor G. Srinivas Sir, a passionate mathematics teacher whose dedication has impacted countless lives.A
Gopika Varshini Lagudu
Published 7d+
5 Creative Ways to Make Learning Fun and Enjoyable
Are you feeling a little down lately? Is the exam pressure of your college work getting you down? Don't worry, you're not alone! As a third-year student, I've seen countless students feeling
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
A Piece of Advice!
A Piece of Advice Amid Global LayoffsDear 3rd/2nd Year StudentsA Piece of Advice! If it appeals to you, Please consider it. If not, Please ignore this message. There is a famous quote- "Whatever
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Art of Parenting
Art of Parenting is a perfect Parallel to Ceiling Fan Rotation Direction!! Learn from the Fan! Read this Interesting Perspective!!Dear Parents and ChildrenThis was a puzzle I had for many years! Why
Manognya Akella
Published 7d+
Light Pollution and Night Skies.
Light Pollution: We are aware of different kinds of Pollution like Air Pollution, Water and Land Pollution, etc. But have you heard of Light Pollution?. Light Pollution refers to the excessive external
Dr. G. V. Sridhar
Published 7d+
Q & A with the expert in ECE ,Dr. G. V. Sridhar
What is ECE?Dr.Sridhar: Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) which is one of the prominent branches of engineering. It deals with electronic circuits and communication systems. It helps
EdGe: Your Academic Co-pilot
Published 7d+
Engineering Entrance Exams
Every year students who want to pursue their career in engineering apply for different engineering entrance exams. To help such students we are giving all the popular engineering entrances at one
EdGe: Your Academic Co-pilot
Published 7d+
All About KLEEE
What is KLU?Koneru Lakshmaiah University (KLU), officially known as KL Deemed to be University, is one of India’s leading private institutions dedicated to excellence in education, research, and
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
What are the Future Job Opportunities for ECE/EEE/Mech/Civil/Chem Students?
What are the Future Job Opportunities for ECE/EEE/Mech/Civil/Chem Students? Yesterday I was sharing a video message (https://youtu.be/PAFuE-S3YL0 ) to all Engineering students on how they
Adidam Surya Praneeth
Published 7d+
From Humble Beginnings to Global Success
Hello everyone,This is A.Surya Praneeth. I have gone through this wonderful story which totally changed my perspective towards success. This is the story of a man who believed in himself despite
Related Blogs
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
How our Childhood personality traits influence on life outcomes.
How you behave at Age 11 reflects your attainment at Age 50! The First Longitudinal Study (50 Years) Results got published! Can you check your traits at Age 11?Dear Friends and StudentsThree researchers
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Your New Co-Researcher- Boon or Bane?
Your New Co-Researcher- Boon or Bane? Productivity Enabler or Creative Loss? -Message to Researchers, Faculty, and Students!Dear Researcher, Faculty and Student FriendsThree Years back, a few students
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Should I join ECE or not?
Should I join ECE or not? Do I have a Future? This Message is a Response to these questions! Read this perspective!Dear Students and FriendsA couple of days back, one of my colleagues asked what
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Preparing Coders for Tomorrow
"Preparing Coders for Tomorrow: The Evolution of Code Comprehension in Generative AI”! Computer Science Faculty and IT Recruiters' Dilemma!Dear Friends and Students,This article
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Better English for Best Mathematics
Do You Need Better English for Best Mathematics? Similarly, Computer Science and Communication!! 20% drop in Maths Performance due to less understanding of words! How does a Metro, City, Town Student perform
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Prompt Engineering
The Hottest Software Job and Hottest Programming Language in the Market! The first-ever new Job created by AI!Dear Friends and StudentsRecently I saw a Job post and Companies are willing to pay