REPORT THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN 1 REPORT THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN ALOHA MENTAL ARITHMETIC The present document constitutes a summary of the scientific report carried by Doctor K. Vasuki for the University of Madras (India) on the Impact of Abacus Learning of Mental Arithmet of children. The mentioned study was carried out using a significance sample of the ALOHA Mental Arithmetic students. ALOHA, acronym of Abacus Learning of Higher Arithmetic, is a mental development programme which enhances the brain development of students through the use and visualization of the abacus. REPORT THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL The programme beginnings dates back to 1993 in Malaysia, when Mr. Loh Mun ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES Sung decided to create a programme which, based on the use of the abacus, would OF CHILDREN go beyond and would enhance the coordination and development of both cerebral hemispheres: left and right. 1st EDITION: may 2013 Published by ALOHA MENTAL ARITHMETIC, 2013 The programme, currently taught in more than 20 countries of the 5 continents, is directed to children aged between 5 and 13. In this period the plasticity of the brain Thesis submitted to and, therefore, the learning capacity, are greater. UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By K. VASUKI Under the guidance of Dr. P. J. CHARUMATHI Department of Applied Psychology and Behavioural Research Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women Chennai 600 0018 December 2005 All right reserved, no part of this work may be reproduced, modified or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems-without the written permission of the copyright owner, K. Vasuki and ALOHA Spain S.L. 2 3 I INTRODUCTION 5 NEED FOR MATHEMATICS ALL ABOUT ABACUS History & Development of Abacus A New Abacus Objectives of Abacus Mental Arithmetic Education The Best Learning Age for the Children Benefits of Learning Abacus PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF LEARNING Hemispheric Functions Development of the Right Brain and Abacus Method Of Mental Calculation II METHODOLOGY 13 RESEARCH PROBLEM AIM OF THE STUDY OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF THE VARIABLES SELECTED RESEARCH DESIGN TOOLS USED FOR THE STUDY PILOT STUDY SELECTION OF STUDY AREA SAMPLING FRAME SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS COLLECTION OF DATA PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS OF DATA III RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 21 TEST OF NORMALITY HOMOGENEITY OF GROUPS IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING ON THE VARIABLES LISTED BELOW Concentration Problem Solving Ability Working Memory Spatial ability Associative Memory Creativity Concept formation GENERAL MATHEMATICAL ABILITY CONTRIBUTORS TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE SUMMARY BIBLIOGRAPHY 4 5 ABSTRACT Academic performance of children, which in turn would trigger the parental interest towards this programme. Based on the objectives and review of literature, wherever necessary, Alternate Hypotheses and Null Hypotheses were framed. The Quasi experimental design with multiple post tests was used for this Dr. Vasuki. P.H.D, in philosophy and longitudinal study to gather information author of the study regarding the impact of Abacus learning on the selected cognitive abilities of children. The study was conducted in The reading of this report will serve Chennai district of Tamil Nadu. Children the reader to confirm how the mental of the age 8-12 years, who are learning development programme, ALOHA Mental Abacus, with ALOHA Mental Arithmetic Arithmetic, stimulate children’s mental were chosen as the experimental group. capacities and abilities contributing, As per the control group, children of the at the same time, to improving their age 8-12 years, who are not learning self-esteem. Additionally, through the ALOHA, were chosen. different empiric data presented, the reader may ascertain the programme The sampling procedure adopted to effectiveness in contributing to memory select the abacus learners included and data recall. simple random sampling and purposive sampling. The same techniques were Thanks to its benefits, this innovative adopted to select control group. Sample learning programme, taught in Asia since consisted of 160 children (80 boys and 1993, has captured not only the interest of 80 girls) for experimental group and children but also the attention of parents the same for control group. During the and education professionals. Although experiment dropout rate was found to the programme it is increasingly popular be 12% for experimental group and 10% there wasn´t until now enough literature for the control group. Psychological tests relating to abacus learning. For this were used to collect the data from both reason, it was necessary to do a scientific the groups. study to find out the consequences of learning Abacus Mental Arithmetic during The tools used for the study were the formative stages. following standardized tests: Raven standard progressive Matrices (J.C. Therefore the present research attempted Raven,1956) ,letter cancellation test, test to study the impact of Abacus Learning of creativity (M.A.Wallach & N. Kogan, on the cognitive abilities such as 1965, adopted by C. R. Paramesh, concentration, problem solving, working 1972),The Porteus Maze Test (Stanley D. memory, associative memory, spatial Porteus,1967) ,The concept formation ability, concept formation and creativity. test (Komal Dwlvedi, 1976), and The Also it tried to identify the specific Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children cognitive abilities contributing towards (Wechsler 1958). 6 7 THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION “Intelligent mind works hand - in - hand with efficient hand. In the last years, ALOHA Mental Arithmetic has become very popular not only in Asian countries –where the programme was originated - but also in school centres in Efficient hand works hand - in - hand with intelligent mind” America, Europe, Africa and Oceania. The reason why this programme based in the use and visualization of the abacus has reach such a success – in spite of the computers and calculators hegemony - is a strenuous workout for the brain. The operation with abacus implies the coordinated action of the principle muscles of the human body – for example; sight, sound and movement of the hands- which in turn enhances the brain development. 8 9 THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN NEED FOR MATHEMATICS A new Abacus In these days of increasing innovations in the fields of technological development Abacus is a calculating instrument used by Chinese, Japanese and Koreans since and also in day-to-day life, there is a considerable amount of dependence on ancient times. It was used in business as well as in other scientific areas such as Maths which is the basis of all such developments. in astronomical calculations and trigonometry calculations etc. At present, a mid- sized abacus has been warmly welcomed. Abacus is practical, useful in solving The fundamental process of addition, subtraction and counting are all mathematical mathematical problems and especially is very handy in teaching the concept of in nature and every one of us uses them in day-to-day life. numbers to children in lower grades. Understanding mathematics fosters an ability to think laterally. Constant mathematic exploration and practice will give confidence in one`s metal faculties, intelligence and problem solving abilities. Mathematics possesses certain Objectives of Abacus Mental Arithmetic characteristics, which are suitable for the training of the learner´s mind. These characteristics are: Education · Simplicity • To train and instil in children the habit of careful observation. · Accuracy • To train and instil in children the habit of good memory and recall of data with maximum efficiency and minimum energy. · Precision • To train and instil in children the habit of using multiple skills · Originality simultaneously with maximum efficiency and minimum economy. · Similarity to reasoning of life • To train and instil in children the importance of sound reasoning and original thinking. • To expand the child’s mental powers and faculties and thus to uplift their morale. • To expand the child’s photographic memory and spatial orientation. ALL ABOUT ABACUS The program comprises of two parts: History and Development of Abacus 1st PART The earliest instruments for counting were stones, slender tree branches, tying knots and carving. All these methods of counting once used widely by many nations are no Abacus calculation longer in use. Devices helping with such calculations begun with the prehistoric use of stone counters and progressed with the abacus. The phase of learning in any type of skill can be normally categorized into 3 stages, namely cognitive phase, the fixation phase and autonomous phase. In the case of abacus calculation, it can be further divided into the following seven phases: 1 Cognitive phase 5 Fixation phase 2 Acceptance phase 6 Autonomous phase 3 Practice phase 7 Expression phase 4 Proficient phase 10 11 THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN 2 nd PART PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF LEARNING Abacus mental arithmetic In this phase, students stop using the physical abacus and start practising with an imaginary abacus to calculate the answer. The learners manipulate abacus beads in their head to carry out a calculation. Due to the development of cerebral physiology and machines that can accurately measure the amount of blood flow in the brain, recent studies have proven that the abacus method of mental calculation is extremely effective in activating the right brain. The different methods of calculation can be divided into: 1 2 3 Viewing Dictation Silent Dictation This is also called The student will use The student will dictate listening mental the numbers that he to himself silently and arithmetic. Someone sees and imagines the use an imaginary will read aloud the figures to be the beads abacus to perform the number and the on an abacus. He will calculation. listener will perform use this imaginary the calculation. abacus to perform the calculation. Mental calculation improves concentration, develops memory and enhances the ability to retain several ideas at once. Students learn to work with different concepts simultaneously. Mental calculation will enable you to develop a ‘feel’ for numbers. One will be able to estimate answers in a better way. The best learning age for the children According to the analysis on the development of nervous tissues, the development and growth of the nerves will begin since 4 to 6 years old with a quickest speed, the Very little is known about the ways cognitive processes are represented in the brain. progression will slow down after 12 years old when growth reach to 75%. By the time people are born, they have all the neurons they will ever have, about 100 to 200 billion, and each neuron has about 2.500 synapses. However, the fibres Benefits of Abacus Learning that reach out from the neurons and the synapses between the fibres ends increase during the first years of life, perhaps into adolescence. By age two or three, each neuron has around 15.000 synapses; much more synapses than they will have as Benefits of Abacus education adults. The synapses, as junctions across which a nerve impulse passes from an axon terminal to a neuron, muscle cell, or gland cell, is of much importance when Greater ability in calculating compared to 1. Primary Benefit developing the cognitive functions. those without the knowledge of Abacus & Mental Arithmetic. In fact, children are oversupplied with the neurons and synapses that they will need to (a) Increase in visualization, concentration,memorization adapt to their environments. Nevertheless, only those that are used will survive and and analytical ability through constant practice. unused neurons will be “pruned”. That is why Abacus Learning of Higher Arithmetic 2. Secondary Benefit is addressed to children from 5 to 13 years old. (b) Promotes patience and observatory skills. Since the abacus is made of small beads and through constant The training of finger movements encourages synapses to be entwined with each use of the abacus, a sense of patience and alertness is other and constructs neuron networks. formed. 12 13 THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN Hemispheric functions Development of the Right Brain and the Abacus Method of Mental Calculation Another important aspect of brain functioning that has implications for cognitive development is lateralization or the specialization of the two hemispheres of the brain. Baken,P. (1976) has focused on the significance of left/right hemisphere differences for management in the “Creative Brain”. He states that for most people, one of the two Functions of Right and Left hemispheres hemispheres is the dominant one in terms of our preferred mode of processing. This concept of dominance should not be thought of as a dichotomy, but as a continuum, in which the dominance is distributed in various intensities between the hemispheres. Left Right The creation progression of a person could face difficulties or could be failed if lack of co-operation in both brains. Every creation process needs numerous collaborations 1. Logical problem solving 1. Intuitive problem solving between these two hemispheres. (impulsive reaction) 2. Logical and verbal skills analytical 2. Visual learning reassuming A Framework for human Information Processing Tactics (Adapted from Taggart and Robey, 1981 3. Simplicity 3. Inventiveness 4. Hard sciences 4. Tolerance of ambiguity 5. Practical interests 5. Non verbal thinking 6. Problem solving 6. Creativity and Imagery 7. Precision 7. Openness to experience Left Dominant Tactics Right Dominant Tactics 8. Understanding of speech and 8. Aesthetic interests language. Structured Open-ended 9. Attitude towards Maths 9. Visual - spatial information 10. Long term memory (consolidation 10. Non - speech sounds such as Verbal Spatial process) music, face recognition Facts Ideas 11. Processing of emotional information Sequence Relationships 12. Recognition, memory for Outline Geometric patterns Summary Logical Intuitive The fact that the left hemisphere thinks in “words” while the right one thinks in images, is important when calculating because any numeric language received is processed by the left hemisphere. Abacus learners of Higher Arithmetic will send this information through the nerve fibres (Corpus Callosum) to the right hemisphere where it is translated into natural language (spatial disposition). At this point, abacus learners manipulate an imaginary abacus to solve the arithmetic operation. With great speed and accuracy, the students get the result that has to be translated into human language. This means the information has to go all the way back through the Corpus Callosum for them to put mathematical notions into words. By simply doing this, ALOHA learners are trained for the whole brain development. 14 15 THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY RESEARCH PROBLEM What is the impact of Abacus Learning of Higher Arithmetic on the cognitive abilities of children? AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of the present Research is to explore the impact of Abacus Learning of Higher Arithmetic on the specific cognitive abilities of children who are undergoing the first four levels of the ALOHA Programme (divided in eight levels). OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Research is formalized curiosity. It is pocking and prying • To find about the significance of Abacus Learning. with a purpose. • To find out the cognitive abilities enhanced by Abacus Learning. Zora Neale Hurston. • To evaluate the effectiveness of Abacus training on cognitive abilities of children. • To make a comparison between the experimental and control group on cognitive abilities due to Abacus training. • To assess the trend across the four levels of Abacus training in the cognitive abilities among ALOHA learners and Non-ALOHA learners. 16 17 THE IMPACT OF ABACUS LEARNING OF MENTAL ARITHMETIC ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY A significant improvement will be seen across the four levels of training among the children of experimental group on: • Concentration • Problem Solving Ability • Working Memory • Spatial Ability • General Mathematics Hypotheses Related to cumulative effect of the selected Cognitive abilities Cognitive abilities will significantly discriminate the Experimental and Control group. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF THE VARIABLES SELECTED Creativity Cognitive Abilities Creativity is a cognitive ability that results in a new or novel way of viewing or solving Cognitive abilities refer to various psychological aspects involved in the formation a problem. and utilization of symbols and concepts. Concept Formation Concentration The development of ideas based on the common properties of objects, events, or Concentration is a state of deep mental absorption in the present task. qualities using the processes of abstraction and generalization. Problem Solving Academic Performance The act of defining a problem, determining the cause of the problem; identifying, It is the knowledge attained and skills developed in the subjects of school curriculum prioritizing and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution. usually designated by marks assigned by teachers. Working Memory Abacus Learning of Mental Arithmetic The term working memory is conceptualized as an active system for temporarily storing It is a process where students are able to visualize the ‘abacus’ in mind and carry out and manipulating information needed in the execution of complex cognitive tasks mathematical operations such as Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division. Spatial Ability It is the ability to generate, retain, retrieve, and transform well-structured visual images. Associative Memory The ability to recall an associated data based on matching a partial input pattern. That is reference clues are “associated” with actual memory contents until a desirable match is found. 18 19