MINDA: A cognitive tool for solving mathematical word problems

For many students, mathematical word problem-solving is one of the most demanding tasks in mathematics. It involves both higher and lower order thinking skills. The higher order activities in word problem-solving are the main causes of cognitive overload among students. This paper describes a cognitive tool developed for mathematical word problem-solving called MINDA which is designed to reduce the cognitive load of the students and to improve their mathematical communication skills. A model called the Cognitive-Communicative (C-C) model is formulated as the basis in designing MINDA. From a study conducted on fifty-eight Form One (7^th Grade) students, we observed that there is a significant difference in the students´ achievement in solving mathematical word problems.