PhotoMath and scaffolding
PhotoMath has developed an outstanding application to help students find solutions to math problems. Although some individuals and groups have expressed concerns that students will use this app to cheat on tests (some inevitably will), there is a lot of potential utility in the use of this application as a form of scaffolding in math instruction and learning. Benefiting from this utility, of course, would take some discipline on the part of the student. A student would attempt to solve a math problem from beginning to end. She could then use PhotoMath to check her work and correct errors after making an honest, unassisted effort to solve each problem. In the event that the student becomes stumped on a problem after such an effort, she could then employee PhotoMath to find the correct solution, view the sequential steps required to solve the problem, and identify the specific area where she encountered difficult.
Here's how the app works
Mixed reviews
As you can see below, some users naturally enjoyed using PhotoMath more than others. One common complaint I found associated with the application was the lack of detailed explanations associated with the set of problem-solving steps PhotoMath provides for each problem. Others found that it provided adequate support in aiding learning.
Download PhotoMath
You can download PhotoMath for free for your apple device, here. The folks at PhotoMath are also currently working on developing an app with the same functionality for your Android device due to launch in the spring of 2015. To enter your name on their mailing list to be notified when the Android PhotoMath app is launched, click here.