Examining Technology Uses in the Classroom: Developing Fraction Sense Using Virtual Manipulative Concept Tutorials

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

The Journal of Interactive Online Learning

Volume

3

Issue

4

Publisher

Journal of Interactive Online Learning

Publication Date

2005

First Page

1

Last Page

21

Abstract

This paper describes a classroom teaching experiment conducted in three fifth-grade mathematics classrooms with students of different achievement levels. Virtual fraction manipulative concept tutorials were used in three one-hour class sessions to investigate the learning characteristics afforded by these technology tools. The virtual fraction manipulative concept tutorials exhibited the following learning characteristics that supported students during their learning of equivalence and fraction addition: (1) Allowed discovery learning through experimentation and hypothesis testing; (2) Encouraged students to see mathematical relationships; (3) Connected iconic and symbolic modes of representation explicitly; and (4) Prevented common error patterns in fraction addition.

Comments

Originally published by National Center for Online Learning Research.

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