MultiMath: Using Numeric Keypads to Utilize Limited Computer Resources for Education Heather Underwood, Clint Tseng, Charlotte Robinson, Sunil Garg, Meera Lakshmanan, Richard Anderson, Joyojeet Pal University of Washington, Department of Computer Science and Engineering {hmu2, cxlt, solstinc, skgarg}@cs.washington.edu, meeragargi@gmail.com, anderson@cs.washington.edu, joyojeet@u.washington.edu 0 0 ABSTRACT As the need for access to technology in developing regions increases rapidly, the supply of personal computers in these areas fails to meet the demand. In the context of education and the presence of computers in under-funded schools, the computer-to- child ratio limits equal access to educational material and deprives marginalized children of valuable digital literacy skills. In this paper we expand on prior shared computing research to demonstrate that ten-key numeric keypads are usable as primary input devices and provide the benefits of increased engagement and collaborative learning while offering an inexpensive and versatile educational tool for shared computing scenarios. Keywords Shared Computing, Educational Software, Multiple Input 0 Devices, Single Display Groupware 1.INTRODUCTION 0 For most disadvantaged youth in the developing world, the first and often only source of access to technology is through institutions that offer shared computing facilities. The presence of classroom computers in developing countries is on the rise, even in some of the poorest parts of the world . Government and 0 community funded urban schools in developing nations are included in this technological trend, but only to a limited degree. Often in these schools there are only one or two computers for the students and teachers to share. These computers are primarily used for educational purposes in addition to some gaming. The current model for educational software typically consists of a narrative or short audio story followed by a series of questions. Prior observations in these schools have shown that up to nine or ten children will share a single computer to complete this type of coursework, inevitably causing some students to be left out, a dominant child taking complete control, and many children never interacting with the software or hardware at all [5]. Research has shown that, despite clear evidence of computer sharing being the dominant means of access among disadvantaged children, there is almost no hardware or software designed explicitly to accommodate such usage scenarios [5]. MultiMath uses multiple numeric keypads as input devices for a basic arithmetic game and divides a single computer screen into sections corresponding to each student. This setup — individual USB keypads and corresponding split screen display — provides equal access to the technology, allows students to access personalized and adaptively calibrated content, and lets students participate at their own skill level while maintaining a sense of competition between the other students. 2.RELATED WORK 0 The concept of single display groupware (SDG) is a not a new idea, and researchers have previously explored the potential benefits of collaboration through multiple input devices [2]. Our research follows the SDG model and provides an easily extensible foundation for adding more educational content over time. Prior research on using multiple mice has demonstrated the benefits of providing each student with their own input device [5]. The overall engagement of the students with the material was higher when each child had their own mouse. We observed similar results in preliminary trials with the keypads. The chaotic talking and physical contact significantly decreased when each child had their own device, and the perceived learning was higher in this scenario as well. There has also been research done using a split screen model [3] where the screen was split into two halves and the children worked in teams of two. The results of this study showed that by giving each child their own input device, the common scenario of one dominant child controlling the mouse or keyboard was reduced and collaboration among the teams increased. Research