One of these factors is the learning environments in which children encounter mathematics. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommends the use of interactive computer software in children's mathematics education. However, due to unique cognitive and affective needs, designing interactive software for Children is complex and challenging. There is need for systematic interdisciplinary research to provide developers of educational software with sound design principles. Formal understanding of mathematical concepts is important.
Reflection is crucial to deep understanding of mathematical concepts.
Designers know little about how to structure tasks to promote the optimal psychological experience of 'flow'. There are few, or no guidelines, for what constitutes effective human-computer interfaces for educational purposes. Due to a lack of proper interface design guidelines, designers of educational software for children often use the interaction styles that were originally designed for productivity tools. Recently, the casual use of such interaction styles for educational purposes has been questioned. This dissertation closely examines the issue of interface design for multimedia mathematics learning environments for children and makes recommendations for a new conception of interface manipulation styles resulting in more effective educational user interfaces.