Creating a cybernetic feedback mechanism using ALEKS for students with ADHD

This study shows how the Assessment andLearning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) tool can beapplied to provide live assistance to high schoolstudents with attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD), assist them in complexmathematical problem-solving, and increase theirself-efficacy for grasping concepts in precalculus.Gordon Pask’s conversation theory is used tovisualize human-machine interactions betweencomputer, student, and teacher in an ALEKS-assisted high school precalculus classroom, andmeasure student conceptual differentiation self-efficacy over 17 weeks of instruction to assess theoutcomes of such collective action. Mixedmethods are used to investigate whether acybernetic live review mechanism, as opposed toreview after conclusion of ALEKS sessionsincreases students’ confidence in understandingmathematical concepts. Trend analysis of self-report surveys of two high school students withcombined and inattentive ADHD diagnosesrevealed that on average, conceptualdifferentiation self-efficacy on live review daysexceeded metrics on post-class review days,highlighting benefits of facilitating machine-mediated teacher-student partnerships usingALEKS. Qualitative analyses of an end-semesterfocus group revealed a belief that ALEKS couldheighten focus and provide explicit directions toassist problem-solving. Students suggested this potential could be augmented through one-to-one correspondence in topic organization betweenALEKS pie charts, notebooks, and weekly worksheets.