Jessica F. Shumway

A study comparing virtual manipulatives with other instructional treatments in third- and fourth-grade classrooms

The study reported here examined virtual manipulatives as an instructional treatment in 17 third- and fourth-grade classrooms. Students were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: texts and physical manipulatives (PM), and virtual manipulatives (VM). Results revealed no significant differences in achievement between the treatments. Additional results showed that objective ability predicted fraction achievement; virtual manipulative use can be modulated by test question type (e.g., symbolic vs. pictorial); percentage of class time using representations differed between VM and PM classrooms; and percentage of class time spent using representation types differed, potentially providing differential opportunities to learn.

An Examination of Children’s Learning Progression Shifts While Using Touch Screen Virtual Manipulative Mathematics Apps

The purpose of this study was to examine shifts in young childrens learning progression levels while they interacted with virtual manipulative mathematics apps on touch-screen devices. A total of 100 children participated in six mathematics learning sequences while using 18 virtual manipulative mathematics touch-screen apps during clinical interviews. Researchers developed a micro-scoring tool to analyze video data from two camera sources (i.e., GoPro camera, wall-mounted camera). Our results showed that it is possible to document evidence of shifts in childrens learning progressions while they are interacting with mathematics apps on touch-screen devices. Our results also indicated patterns in the childrens interactions that were related to the shifts in their learning progression levels. These results suggest that an open-ended number of tasks with a variety of representations and tasks at varying levels of difficulty led to children refining their understanding and shaping their concept image of mathematical ideas resulting in incremental shifts in learning. The results of this study have important implications about how mathematical tasks in touch-screen apps may prompt childrens incremental learning progression shifts to occur, and thereby promote opportunities for learning. We propose that design features in mathematics apps can be created to support and encourage these learning shifts.

How design features in digital math games support learning and mathematics connections

Abstract Current research shows that digital games can significantly enhance childrens learning. The purpose of this study was to examine how design features in 12 digital math games influenced childrens learning. The participants in this study were 193 children in Grades 2 through 6 (ages 8–12). During clinical interviews, children in the study completed pre-tests, interacted with digital math games, responded to questions about the digital math games, and completed post-tests. We recorded the interactions using two video perspectives that recorded childrens gameplay and responses to interviewers. We employed mixed methods to analyze the data and identify salient patterns in childrens experiences with the digital math games. The analysis revealed significant gains for 9 of the 12 digital games and most children were aware of the design features in the games. There were eight prominent categories of design features in the video data that supported learning and mathematics connections. Six categories focused on how the design features supported learning in the digital games. These categories included: accuracy feedback, unlimited/multiple attempts, information tutorials and hints, focused constraint, progressive levels, and game efficiency. Two categories were more specific to embodied cognition and action with the mathematics, and focused on how design features promoted mathematics connections. These categories included: linked representations and linked physical actions. The digital games in this study that did not include linked representations and opportunities for linked physical actions as design features did not produce significant gains. These results suggest the key role of mathematics-specific design features in the design of digital math games.

Using Video Analysis to Explain How Virtual Manipulative App Alignment Affects Children’s Mathematics Learning

In this inquiry, researchers sought to understand changes in young children’s learning by examining their performance and efficiency while they engaged with a variety of touch-screen virtual manipulative mathematics apps. We were particularly interested in understanding how the alignment of the apps selected for two different learning sequences might contribute to these changes. A total of 100 children, ages 3–8, participated in interviews. Researchers examined the interviews using a frame-by-frame video analysis to interpret children’s interactions with six different mathematics apps on iPads in a clinical interview setting. Results revealed improvements in children’s mathematics performance and efficiency between the pre and post assessment apps. Apps that were content aligned and structurally aligned, within each of the learning sequences, helped to explain the changes in children’s learning.

Affordance Access Matters: Preschool Children's Learning Progressions While Interacting with Touch-Screen Mathematics Apps.

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the research on mathematics app use by very young children, and specifically mathematics apps for touch-screen mobile devices that contain virtual manipulatives. The study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design, in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected in parallel, analyzed separately, and then merged. During the study, 35 children, ages 3–4, interacted with four touch-screen mathematics apps on iPad devices during one-on one clinical interviews while learning seriation and counting. Researchers administered pre and post assessments of learning during the interviews. Each interview was videotaped using a wall-mounted camera and a GoPro camera to provide different views of the interview. Videos were analyzed to examine children’s learning progressions, access of affordances, and patterns of behavior while interacting with the mathematics apps. The results suggest that different affordances of the individual apps were perceived in different ways, depending on the age of the child, and that these perceptions were observable in young children’s patterns of behavior. Implications are discussed for iPad app use in young children’s educational settings.