To Be Presented in the 11th Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics December 12-16, 2006, Hong Kong SAR, China |
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Using of Virtual Manipulatives on the Web-A Case Study of Four Elementary School Teachersyuan@cycu.edu.tw Graduate school of Education Chung Yuan Christaian University Taiwan
Abstract Virtual manipulatives were proposed to be an innovative
medium for use by elementary school children. The National Library of
Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) is an NSF supported project that began in
1999 to develop a library of uniquely interactive, web-based virtual manipulatives
or concept tutorials, mostly in the form of Java applets, for mathematics
instruction (K-12 emphasis). In this study, four elementary school teachers
in Taiwan selected applets from NLVM and designed learning activities
to enrich their mathematics classrooms. These explorations include using
'Base Block' in grade 2, 'Diffy' in grade 5, 'isometric Geoboard' in grade
5, and 'Algrbra Balance Scales' in grade 6. Research result showed that
students like explore mathematics through these virtual learning environments.
Using of Virtual Manipulatives can improve students' conceptual understanding,
enrich explorations for higher achievers, and remedy weakness for lower
learners. Because of the English interface, both teachers and students
indicated difficulties in using these applets. It is hoped that these
applets can be translated into Chinese. Regular workshops should be held
to improve teachers' abilities of these applications. |
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