Digital Storytelling as a Problem-Solving Strategy in Mathematics Teacher Education: How Making a Math-eo Engages and Excites 21st Century Students

Abstract

This study examines whether creating a mathematics-based digital story increases pre-service teachers’ understanding of the problem solving process, the relationship among visual, auditory and verbal representation in critical thinking/problem solving in mathematics. Survey results indicated that pre-service teachers were unfamiliar with the uses of technology in the teaching process. However, as they worked through the writing/problem solving procedures and constructed digital stories, they became more aware of the advantages of using this multimodal product, called Math-eos, to teach mathematical concepts to elementary/middle school students. The pre-service teachers perceived that Math-eos offered a “cool” new tool for their own learning and teaching and for integrating digital technology in mathematics education to increase student engagement, motivation and acquisition of content knowledge.