This morning I began, in earnest, a journey of discovery into the topic of computational fluency. The genesis for this journey came over a month ago. I was reviewing a list of emphasis areas in the Common Core State Standards that included a brief discussion of computational fluency. After conducting some preliminary research I became interested in trying to describe appropriate methods for evaluating computational fluency in large-scale assessment. So, after letting the idea languish for a month or more, I have decided to start my research.
The definition of computational fluency provided by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is my motivation for this investigation. The organization, in its Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, defined computational fluency this way.
Computational fluency refers to having efficient and accurate methods for computing. Students exhibit computational fluency when they demonstrate flexibility in the computational methods they choose, understand and can explain these methods, and produce answers efficiently.
There are elements of this definition, including flexibility in choosing methods and the ability to explain these methods, that I am not sure are a focus of current assessment. Testing for computational fluency is focused on efficiency, which is often assessed through a timed test of computational questions. One thing I hope to do is challenge the notion that assessing computational fluency means evaluating efficiency. A timed test may assess efficiency, however, I believe there are assessment methods that can get evaluate a student’s flexibility and understanding. Identifying these methods will be a focus of my research.
If this is an area of interest please leave me a comment. I am interested in connecting with other educators and researchers interested in computational fluency.
Reference
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, Virginia: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.