Indicators of learning effectiveness using MaPanda
Introduction.
In 2022-2023, we worked with children in three main areas:
Children are involved in testing educational content. Children aged 4-10 years. Classes with children were not systematic but at the request of the methodological department. At the beginning of the project, parents did not have a choice of characters and educational content.
Separate lessons were held in isolation from the curriculum. The children were involved in the Children of Heroes Foundation support program. Children aged 4-10 years. Classes were held according to selected programs lasting six lessons. Parents had the opportunity to choose a character and a curriculum. All children were in a state of trauma after the loss of a family member. Ages 3-11 years old. Classes were held according to the program chosen by the parents. Parents had the opportunity to select and change the Character and, if they wished, continue their studies under another curriculum.
Classes in all areas showed effectiveness in the following indicators:
1. 1. Motivating children to learn
2. Participation in the lesson
3. Emotional state of the child
4. Quality of communication between teacher/psychologist and child
5. Level of child's trust and comfort
Motivating children to learn
The motivation to learn is only forming in preschool age. One of the main stages of its formation is the emotional component. Preschool children have yet to be able to sustain attention on a task for a long time and evaluate the productivity of their work.
When working with MaPanda, the child is primarily motivated to communicate with the Character. They maintain a dialog and do not avoid communication with the teacher. The motivation to learn is formed directly by the teacher during the tasks.
According to a survey of parents, 90% of children often remember the lesson and want to meet the Character again. The learning motivation for preschool children is formed during the class and stems from the child's existing interest in the learning process. The technical ability of the child to interact with the teacher independently without the participation of an adult (drawing, moving the LCD, etc.) increases interest in the tasks and the learning process. Primary school students (6-11 years old). One hundred twelve children aged 6-11 have completed MaPanda's educational programs. Among them, 16 started school this academic year (1st grade). 6 have special needs, such as ASD, Developmental Delay, Speech and Language Delay, and the consequences of severe psycho-emotional trauma. Twenty-eight children (25%) gradually established contact with the teacher during the first three classes. Four children did not establish a connection with the teacher and refused to communicate.
According to a survey of parents, the vast majority of children studied independently, without the presence of an adult.
School-age children mainly have already formed the motivation to learn (except for the 1st grade). Even children with a low emotional state complete tasks and keep their attention on the lesson topic.
Teachers note the creativity and ingenuity of the children participating in the project's programs. Feeling relaxed and interested in the topic, students boldly put forward hypotheses and formulate exciting solutions to problems.
Preschool children (4-6 years old) 169 children aged 4-6 years old have completed MaPanda's educational programs. Among them, 56 do not attend preschool. Fourteen have special needs, such as Developmental delays, speech and language delays, ASD, ADHD, and the effects of severe psycho-emotional trauma25 children (13.2%) established contact with the teacher gradually during the first three sessions (including ten children (17.8%) who do not attend preschool)3 children did not establish the connection. These cases relate to the child's developmental peculiarities and / or psycho-emotional state.
Involvement in the lesson
Behavioral engagement in the lesson is the child's behavior during the lesson. Cognitive engagement in the lesson is the child's desire to try to achieve the goal, work, and develop strategies for effective problem-solving. According to teachers' reports, 95.3% of preschool children are successfully kept within the curriculum and complete most tasks.Forty-three (25.4%) are distracted by extraneous topics during the lesson but return to their tasks through communication with the teacher. (20 of them have slurred speech, developmental disabilities, or an unstable psycho-emotional state.) 91% of school-age children focus on the topic and tasks during the lesson, working productively and diligently. 9.8% of school-age children are distracted during classes but always return to the lesson's topic - all of them are in grades 1-2 or have special needs. That is, this behavior is a norm for them.
According to a survey of parents, children memorize and reproduce the content of lessons well. This is especially important for preschool children. In total, seven children did not engage in communication. They avoided the dialog, refused to complete the task, turned off the camera, sketched the Character, etc.It is important to note that all 20 children with special needs have completed or are currently completing their studies.
Establishing contact with the teacher was easy, within a maximum of 2 lessons. The children study independently or with the help of their parents, depending on their characteristics. They follow the program determined by their parents and the teacher, maintain sufficient attention during the lesson, and have a stable emotional connection with the Character.
Emotional state of the child
The vast majority of children are in high spirits during the lesson. They express emotions well. Communication with the teacher is accessible and relaxed. 53 children had a certain period of adaptation and a more extended period of establishing a connection with the teacher (from 1 to 3 sessions)
They are children by age:
9 children 4-5 years old (55% of them have slurred speech, which may be one of the reasons)
24 children 6-7 years old
20 children 8-10 years
During six lessons, teachers recorded the emotional state of these children. The observation showed that the emotional state gradually increased and became relatively high starting from the 3rd to 4th lesson. Children express emotions well and are happy to work except for a few cases, starting from lesson 3.
A survey on the child's emotional state showed that 91.4% of parents assessed the impact of MaPanda training as positive.
When describing the emotional state of a child, parents use the following characteristics: "upbeat," "delighted," "stabilization of the neuropsychological state," "positive emotions," "opened up, felt comfortable," "the child opened up," "the child becomes happier," "impressed," etc.
For a more detailed analysis of the impact of learning with the help of MaPand on the psycho-emotional state of a child, we propose the following study: Testing
Control group - 20 children aged 5 to 8 years
Duration - 3 sessions
Quality of communication between teacher/psychologist and child
According to a survey of 14 teachers who work with MaPanda regularly, working on the application helps to:
- Quickly build a trusting relationship with a child (35% of respondents)
- Create a fabulous and magical atmosphere of communication without additional teacher effort (35% of respondents)
- Implement learning through play without using additional material (22% of respondents)Teachers note the following advantages of working with the app over other forms of teaching:
- the availability of demonstration material directly in the app (no need to search for and prepare material before the lesson)
- no need to worry about appearance
- no need to adjust facial expressions, gestures, and voice to the child's ease of perception
- easy interaction with the child, which is lacking in other online platforms.
This is especially important for preschoolers. The child is not just an observer but actively participates in the learning process.During the survey, parents used the following characteristics: "Easy and accessible form of information presentation. The child easily remembers and perceives it as a game", "The conversation is always warm and friendly," "The child was interested, the atmosphere was relaxed," "The child is comfortable in communication," "The material is perceived differently when an adult does not present it," "The child opens up differently".
Between the ages of 3 and 7, children develop their communication skills. They develop an active vocabulary and the ability to build dialogues.
According to speech therapists who have worked with MaPanda, one of the app's important features is that it maximizes the use of the child's sound analyzer and speech. Thanks to the interactive format of the app (the ability to draw simultaneously), the child can maintain a dialogue with the teacher even if they do not have a sufficiently formed speech (age or developmental features), responding to the teacher's words with facial expressions, gestures, drawings, and interacting with Living Objects.The form of the lesson as a conversation contributes to expanding and enriching children's vocabulary (passive and active) and developing coherent speech (teaching a child to present thoughts in semantic and structural unity consistently).
Table 1 (summary of teacher interviews):
The level of trust and comfort of the child
The Character helps children interact with the teacher more calmly and with more interest. Children talk about themselves, become more relaxed, and express emotions well. In most cases, the child's claim arises immediately when communicating with the Character instead of interacting with an adult teacher.
The activity in answering questions does not depend on the interaction format, but only on the child's temperament and the peculiarities of his or her development and psycho-emotional state.
When communicating with the Character, it is more difficult for children to maintain attention. This is partly due to the formal absence of an adult in the lesson (the Character is perceived as a child's peer) - children freely express their unwillingness to complete tasks try to seize the initiative in communication. However, the lack of authority has a positive effect - without any framework and communication restrictions, the child feels relaxed and comfortable.
There are many studies on using masks, dolls, and toys in working with children. It is a common practice for psychologists working with children with psychological trauma to use masks. The mask helps the child open up, creating a safe environment where the child can express emotions.
Play therapy is based on the same principle, in which a psychologist uses a toy or a glove doll in interaction with a child. Experts note the positive impact of using this technique in speech development correctional classes with children with speech delays and communication problems.
A similar effect is present in the work of MaPanda. The formal absence of an adult creates an exceptional level of trust between the student and the teacher. The Fairy Tale Character cannot criticize, demand, or evaluate. He encourages the child to work and rejoices in his successes together with him.This creates additional challenges for teachers who are used to achieving learning outcomes through discipline and control. There is also a risk that, for some children, the inability to see the teacher's face makes communication difficult due to the lack of facial expressions and voice changes.But at the same time, MaPanda creates conditions for children to express their creativity and imagination. Without fear of judgment and criteria, children are free to express themselves.
In 2007, a study in Canada proved the positive impact of using masks and backgrounds in online learning on student motivation and the quality of their participation in the lesson. There are also a number of studies on the use of online masks in classes with children with developmental disabilities (including autism). The use of masks in online learning and offline therapy creates a safe and comfortable environment for children, arouses curiosity, and increases motivation to learn.
It is beneficial for children who have difficulty communicating with adults and peers, have difficulty adapting to a new team, and are withdrawn or shy.
Creating a comfortable learning environment affects not only children's communication skills but also their cognitive skills, which makes learning more effective.
In the surveys, parents of children who have been trained with MaPanda use the following characteristics: "The conversation was always warm and friendly", "Friendly relations with the character are built, the child opens up, shares his thoughts", "During the lesson, he opened up, felt comfortable in communication", "expression of his thoughts and creativity, fantasies", "In a short time, the child opened up".
During the comparative analysis of teaching with the help of MaPanda and ZOOM, the teachers and the project psychologist made the following conclusions.
