PCI Education Unveils Online Adventure for Algebra Intervention

SAN ANTONIO, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Game-based learning has forged its way to the forefront of 21st century education practices.* PCI Education, the premier provider of resources for students with specialized instructional needs, announces Algebra City Interactive Activities. The new online module constructs an online space in which students choose their own adventures to practice key algebra concepts.

A web-based component of the blended intervention program Algebra City™, Algebra City Interactive Activities provides fun and motivating practice to correct the 28 most common algebraic misconceptions. Students engage in an online story completing activities and solving specifically targeted algebra problems, earning stars along the way.

"Upwards of 60 to 70 percent of students struggle with algebra. It's imperative these students receive the intervention they need before repeated failures escalate to frustration and lack of motivation," said Lee Wilson, president and CEO of PCI Education. "Often students need a fresh approach to get back on track. Algebra City Interactive Activities engages students in a way that makes algebra an adventure."

Algebra City, the print companion to the Interactive Activities, aims to keep students on target by using pinpoint assessment to identify where a student is struggling conceptually and providing multiple approaches to correcting the misconception. The blended intervention may be used with any core Algebra I curriculum. The Student Edition uses graphic novel-style characters to encourage students to re-engage with algebra in novel and exciting ways, making the new online component a natural fit for Algebra City's contemporary style.

"Students often fail to see the relevance of algebra, and this disconnect from classroom instruction to the real world reduces students' interest in learning," said Wilson. "Algebra City Interactive Activities is specifically designed to infuse relevance and fun into algebra instruction and prepare students for future school and career success."

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards, Algebra City is a four-part program: Algebra Essentials, Equations & Inequalities, Graphing, and Polynomials & Factoring. Each book covers seven algebraic misconceptions. The ExamView® Assessment Suite included in Algebra City provides ready-made pretests and posttests at the program, book and unit levels, an item bank and test generator, and robust reporting.

About PCI Education
PCI Education offers more than 7,500 educational materials for a wide range of students with specialized instructional needs. The company's products are used to help students performing below grade level, students with learning differences, and students with significant or developmental disabilities such as autism. In addition, PCI programs are used in English language learner and adult literacy classes. Based in San Antonio, PCI Education has been helping educators lead students to success in school, at home and in the community since 1991. For more information, visit www.pcieducation.com.

*Reference: 2012 Horizon Project Short List published by the New Media Consortium

For more information:
– Emily Embury, C. Blohm & Associates, 608-216-7300, ext. 19, [email protected], www.cblohm.com
– Denise Jacks, PCI Education, 800-594-4263, ext. 123, [email protected]

SOURCE PCI Education