Hypothesis

Students who have difficulty reading word problems will improve their mathematics performance when word problems are re-written for enhanced clarity and simplicity.

Student population

This study was conducted over Carnegie Learning's general user population, with the exception of those who requested to be excluded from product improvement research.

Intervention

The experiment involved rewriting word problems in two MATHia workspaces according to a writing guide that emphasized more clear and simple language (e.g., replacing instances of passive voice with more direct language).

Design

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the modified (rewritten) workspaces, or the original workspaces with original word problem content and features.

Outcome measures

We measured outcomes including time taken to complete the target workspace(s), whether students reached skill mastery, and an index of students' performance relative to historical data.