Applying Pedagogy to the Design of Software for Helping Students Learn Equation Solving

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the development of software designed to help students learn strategies for equation solving. Instructional design principles were followed and two cycles are described. In the first cycle of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation, prototype software was completed. In the second cycle, after analysis of the prototype, Equations2go was designed, developed and implemented ready for evaluation. Pedagogical principles are fully embedded into the design of Equations2go and are the focus of this paper. Equations2go is now available free of charge.