AADMLSS Practice: A Culturally Relevant Algebra Tutor

Abstract

This thesis presents an online web-based culturally relevant algebra tutor system. It is designed for African American students to improve their mathematical skills through practice on this platform. As a critical part of a culturally relevant tutor framework AADMLSS, this system particularly focuses on practicing algebra. But it can also easily be adapted to other courses with proper changes in problem repository and problem solving engine. This platform consists of two interface modules at the front-end and one database at the back-end. One of interface modules, called Algebra Problems Management, is designed for instructors to manage algebra problem pool and to track the activities that students perform in solving algebra problems. The other interface module, Algebra Problems Practice, is shared by instructors and students. This module is the environment where students can extract an algebra problem and practice solving this problem through interaction with a 3D virtual tutor. This module is hooked into Algebra Problems Management module as one of its elements so that instructors can preview the environment a student might be in when solving an algebra problem. With practice on this online web system that is tailored with the familiar cultural elements to students, they are expected to improve their ability and skills in mathematics. An extensive usability experiment is also conducted to evaluate effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction of this system. Experimental result shows that AADMLSS Practice is effective and efficient in interface usability and functionalities helping student practice their algebra problems.