What is a Virtual Manipulative an interactive Webbased

What is a Virtual Manipulative? ". . . an interactive, Web-based visual representation of a dynamic object that presents opportunities for constructing mathematical knowledge. " (Moyer, Bolyard, & Spikell 2002, p. 373) Restart Show Read More: Outline: I. A & I. B Samples: “More VMs” Page

What is a Virtual Manipulative? Example 1: Graphing Linear Equations ·Young, D. (2006). Linear Equations. Retrieved April 23, 2006 from: http: //plaza. ufl. edu/youngdj/ graphing_tool. html Restart Show Read More: Outline: I. A & I. B Samples: “My VMs” Page

What is a Virtual Manipulative? Example 2: The Moving Man Project ·Murphy, L. D. (2000). The Moving Man Project. Retrieved April 23, 2006 from: http: //www. mste. uiuc. edu/murphy /Moving. Man. html Restart Show Read More: Outline: I. A & I. B Samples: “More VMs” Page

Why Use Virtual Manipulatives? Logistic Benefits: ·Easily accessible and manageable ·Low technological learning curve ·Available out-of-school ·Many people can develop them ·Can do things not possible with Physical Manipulatives, pencil and paper, or other tools Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. A. 1

Why Use Virtual Manipulatives? Teaching Benefits: ·Instantaneous feedback ·Multiple representations of concepts ·Link symbolic concepts with concrete representations ·Promotes problem solving and hypothesis testing ·Helpful for students with disabilities ·Increases attention and motivation (even in teachers) Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. A. 2

Existing Research Of seven articles describing actual research projects: · Three were classroom studies, in which two found some benefits and one found no difference. · Three were studies of teacher use and attitudes, which showed mixed feelings and little experience. · One purported to show that Java-Applets could do things that graphing calculators could not 4 Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. C. 1

Existing Research Two alternative arguments exist to support the use of VM’s with research: 1) Cholmsky (2003) and Reimer & Moyer (2005) used Marzano’s (1998) meta-analysis of instructional methods that work to justify use of VMs: ·Graphical representations ·Physical Manipulatives ·Hypothesis Testing Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. C. 2

Existing Research Two alternative arguments exist to support the use of VM’s with research: 2) Clements and Mc. Millen (1996) used Piaget and Holt to argue that computer manipulatives are no less concrete than physical. ·Both physical and virtual manipulatives are simply symbolic representations Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. C. 2

Existing Collections ·Mathlets - Journal of Online Math and Its Applications · Illuminations - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics ·NLVM - National Library of Virtual Manipulatives ·Project Interactivate - Shodor Education Foundation ·Thousands more in pay sites and private collections Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. B Samples: “More VMs” Page

What’s Missing? Online Schools have not been included in the discussion of VMs, and should be: ·The online nature of VMs make them suitable for virtual schools ·Face-to-face and online teaching methods often differ Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. D & III. A

What’s Missing? Secondary Education ·Most existing applets are focused on elementary, middle-school and undergraduate topics. ·Virtually all of the existing research deals with elementary and middle school age students and topics. Restart Show Read More: Outline: I. A & I. B Samples: “More VMs” Page

Suggestions for Development Future Development of VMs Should: · Be based on current Human Computer Interface research · Avoid Redundancy ·Promote Reusability Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. D. 1

Suggestions for Research · What aspects of some VMs make them more effective than others? · How can teachers be better educated on how and when to use VMs? · What topics may be most beneficial to be taught with VMs? ·Does the research base supporting physical manipulatives transfer to virtual manipulatives? Restart Show Read More: Outline: II. D. 3 &III. C

Conclusion • Virtual Manipulatives are a very promising tool for mathematics education. • As use, development, and research on VMs increases they will become more effective teaching/learning tools. Restart Show Read More: Outline: References Samples: My/More VMs Page

Conclusion For References: Please see outline on table Please Explore My Virtual Manipulatives and Others on the Adjacent Computer Restart Show Read More: Outline: References Samples: My/More VMs Page