Victoria Pounder
A St. Cloud State University student and professor recently teamed up with Dlalo Games to build Math In Balance, a math app to help children learn algebra.
Math education major Victoria Pounder designed the app in her spare time with the help of Professor Melissa Hanzsek-Brill. Over eight months, Pounder designed, illustrated the app and worked with developers at Dlalo Games to publish the app on iTunes, where it is available for free.
“Victoria did an amazing job,” Hanzsek-Brill said. “The hopes are that this app will help children learn basic algebra skills in a very friendly environment.”
Pounder has always enjoyed basic algebra and wanted others to have fun with it too, which inspired her to work on the app.
When a Dlalo Games representative came to present to her class about the opportunity to design a game, and Professor Patty Waletzko offered to let the project count toward their final project, Pounder knew she wanted to take on the challenge.
“I’ve spent some time working with students with special needs, and, even at the high school level, algebra tended to be the subject that the students had the hardest time with,” she said. “It was hard for them to remember to perform an action like adding four to both sides to keep the equation balanced.”
Presenting math to them in a game setting may help them learn algebra faster and with less fear because games usually make learning a tough subject more fun, she said, adding that she plans to use the app in her own classroom one day.
“I think it would be a great resource to any classroom,” she said.
