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Kwon Hyuksik: The Direction of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education with AI in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution
2022-11-08 10:55 Hits:253 Source:WAAMA

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Greetings!

I am Kwon Hyuksik, Vice President of the South Korea Committee of WAAMA.

Abacus once had its heyday. Back then, those who exceled at abacus were most favored by the employers, because abacus was a tool used in all business involving money, including the state tax authorities.

However, with the development of civilization and science, abacus is slowly fading into the background. This skill, which had stood still for thousands of years, was quickly forgotten by people.

Please look at the photo below.

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It is a corner of the accounting department of a mid-sized company with 350 employees. The task used to be completed by 10 or so employees now only needs two employees who can complete it faster and more accurately, despite none of them has studied abacus. It’s a great pity but also the reality facing us.

Please look at the photo below.

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In the photo, none of the salesmen on the job had learned abacus, but without affecting the checkout by them.

According to the population statistics of South Korea, the total number of births in 2000 was 600,000. Two decades later in 2019, this figure was only 200,000, a decline of two thirds, which is a similar situation for all countries today.

So, how should we respond? The answer is clear.

To address current low enthusiasm for learning abacus, we can change the training mode into the training of abacus and mental arithmetic in more interesting ways. A shift is needed from previously flashy and difficult abacus training for a small number of children to easier mental arithmetic training that encourages the participation of and is mandatory for more children.

1. By learning abacus and mental arithmetic, children's concentration can be improved. We should highlight the importance of concentration.

2. For simple basic calculations in elementary schools, a computer is not needed. We should promote the importance of abacus and mental arithmetic to children of this age.

3. We should highlight the importance of speed. Students are trained to solve five two-digit arithmetic problems until they can write the answers at a glance. In this way, the stimulation of both sides of the brain can be maximized so we can adopt the mode of “quick mental arithmetic training that allows trainees to write answers at a glance”. This is a kind of differentiated training method that no one can imitate without learning fast abacus and mental arithmetic.

With systematic training methods and appropriate textbooks for “quick mental arithmetic training that allows trainees to write answers at a glance”, more training teachers can guide more children. I am confident that the number of students learning abacus and mental arithmetic will increase.

The above is a brief introduction to my points of view.

I am greatly honored to exchange ideas with you distinguished guests at this precious time.

Thanks for listening!

 

(Kwon Hyuksik is the Vice President of Korea Institution of International Abacus and Mathematics Association, South Korea. This is his speech at the International Academic Seminar on Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Founding of WAAMA (The 7th Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education Academic Exchange Seminar) on October 28th, 2022)