Using the Kumon Method to Increase Student Understanding in College Level Courses: The Case of International Finance
Abstract
Teaching international finance I realized many students’ questions on complex topics were about currency conversions and reading quotes, the course’s building blocks. In looking for a way to increase their understanding in these topics, to better equip them to tackle more challenging ones, I tried the Kumon method.
This method seeks to make computational skills automatic, leaving students with time to work on complicated topics. Bloom (1968, 1974) argued that sufficient time, appropriate instruction, and corrective feedback will enable 95% of the students to learn what only 20% were thought to be capable of. The three elements that Bloom mentions are essential components of Kumon.
My objective is to show how using this method to cover foundational topics in a college-level course like International Finance gives students a stronger basis and helps them gain a deeper understanding of complex topics. Students scored on average 80% and 79% respectively when tested on different types of currency conversion questions. 88% percent of students who used this method in their course agreed/strongly agreed it improved their overall understanding of International Finance.
The session outcome is for attendees to learn how to make this type of worksheets for their own topic and purpose.
Location
Room 2002
Recommended Citation
Martinez, Valeria, "Using the Kumon Method to Increase Student Understanding in College Level Courses: The Case of International Finance" (2014). SoTL Commons Conference. 76.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2014/76
Using the Kumon Method to Increase Student Understanding in College Level Courses: The Case of International Finance
Room 2002
Teaching international finance I realized many students’ questions on complex topics were about currency conversions and reading quotes, the course’s building blocks. In looking for a way to increase their understanding in these topics, to better equip them to tackle more challenging ones, I tried the Kumon method.
This method seeks to make computational skills automatic, leaving students with time to work on complicated topics. Bloom (1968, 1974) argued that sufficient time, appropriate instruction, and corrective feedback will enable 95% of the students to learn what only 20% were thought to be capable of. The three elements that Bloom mentions are essential components of Kumon.
My objective is to show how using this method to cover foundational topics in a college-level course like International Finance gives students a stronger basis and helps them gain a deeper understanding of complex topics. Students scored on average 80% and 79% respectively when tested on different types of currency conversion questions. 88% percent of students who used this method in their course agreed/strongly agreed it improved their overall understanding of International Finance.
The session outcome is for attendees to learn how to make this type of worksheets for their own topic and purpose.
