The Effects on Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Electric Circuits of Introducing Virtual Manipulatives Within a Physical Manipulatives-Oriented Curriculum

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zacharias C. Zacharia ◽  
Ton de Jong
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Virtual Manipulatives ◽  
Electric Circuits ◽  
Physical Manipulatives

scholarly journals Grade 8 Students’ Level of Conceptual Understanding of Electric Circuits Using Virtual Manipulative

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesserene P. Bantolo ◽  
◽  
Dr. Voltaire M. Mistades ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Physics Education ◽  
Alternative Conceptions ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Virtual Manipulatives ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
Electric Circuits ◽  
Energy Current ◽  
University Of Colorado ◽  
Virtual Lab

The challenge to Physics teachers is finding ways to address students’ alternative conceptions and misconceptions. Traditional instruction often fails to change these ideas because students deeply hold them. In this study, we report the effects of using virtual manipulatives on students’ conceptual understanding of the topic, electricity. In learning the concepts on DC circuits, energy, current-voltage-resistance relationship, and potential difference, the students used the Physics Education Technology (PhET) interactive simulations project of the University of Colorado, particularly the Circuit Construction Kit DC Virtual Lab simulation app. The virtual activities that the students conducted were able to augment the class discussion. The results of the post-instruction administration of the assessment instrument, Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuits Test (DIRECT), revealed that the simulations helped the students analyze the physical aspects of electric circuits. Technology integration in classroom discussion of electric circuits effectively engaged students to learn more about Physics concepts.

Revisiting the Effects and Affordances of Virtual Manipulatives for Mathematics Learning

2015 ◽  
pp. 186-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia S. Moyer-Packenham ◽  
Arla Westenskow
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Learning Motivation ◽  
Virtual Manipulatives ◽  
Study Quality ◽  
Mathematical Learning ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Physical Manipulatives

In this paper, we revisit the research on virtual manipulatives by synthesizing the findings from 104 research reports, with 46 studies yielding 104 effect size scores reporting the effects of VMs on student achievement. The 104 reports also contributed to a conceptual synthesis analysis that produced categories of affordances that promote mathematical learning. The results of the effect size scores analysis yielded overall moderate effects for VMs compared with other instructional treatments, which was consistent with the first meta-analysis we conducted. There were large, moderate, and small effects when VMs were compared with physical manipulatives, textbooks, and examined by mathematical domains, grade levels, study duration, study quality, year of study publication, and study size. Revisiting the affordance categories confirmed our first analysis which produced five categories of features in the VMs that promoted students' mathematical learning (motivation, simultaneous linking, efficient precision, focused constraint, and creative variation).

Manipulative Apps to Support Students With Disabilities in Mathematics

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily C. Bouck ◽  
Christopher Working ◽  
Erin Bone
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Virtual Manipulatives ◽  
Mathematical Concepts ◽  
Concrete Manipulatives ◽  
Informed Decisions ◽  
Student Preference ◽  
Support Students

Understanding mathematical concepts is important for all students, although often challenging for many students with disabilities. Historically, educators have used concrete manipulatives to support and build conceptual understanding. Mobile devices provide a valuable option to support students with disabilities in mathematics through app-based manipulatives. Although research is limited on app-based manipulatives, the emerging literature with virtual (i.e., digital) manipulatives more generally suggests student preference for virtual manipulatives without a loss of understanding. This column provides educators with information about app-based manipulatives and how to use them, with the goal of helping teachers make informed decisions about app-based manipulatives to support students.

Interactive Virtual and Physical Manipulatives for Improving Students’ Spatial Skills

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 1088-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oai Ha ◽  
Ning Fang
Keyword(s):  
Educational Technology ◽  
Gender Difference ◽  
Computer Graphics ◽  
Real World ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Virtual Manipulatives ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Spatial Skills ◽  
Learning Gain ◽  
Physical Manipulatives

An innovative educational technology called interactive virtual and physical manipulatives (VPM) is developed to improve students’ spatial skills. With VPM technology, not only can students touch and play with real-world physical manipulatives in their hands but also they can see how the corresponding virtual manipulatives (i.e., computer graphics) simultaneously change in real time. The assessment results show that VPM technology resulted in a 21.3% normalized learning gain in the posttest as compared with the pretest. Gender difference in spatial scores was reduced from 22.9% in the pretest to only 5.5% in the posttest. The t-test results revealed a statistically significant effect ( p = .032) of VPM technology on student learning, with Hedges’ g effect size of 0.54. The majority of the students surveyed (71.9%) preferred using both VPM, rather than virtual or physical manipulatives alone, because the two types of manipulatives provide two simultaneous channels for learning.

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