Incorporating visual representations, rather than strictly relying on symbolic representations, is a research-based strategy for supporting fraction learning. However, students must also make transitions between visual and symbolic fraction representations to apply the conceptual understanding they gained from visual representations to symbolic…

Background: Knowledge of the structure and function of the human heart is fundamental to accurately understanding human physiology. As a complex biological system, naïve conceptions abound regarding cardiac anatomy and physiology for K-12 learners and medical students alike. Objective: Textbooks and lectures, as well models and simulations, have…

Combining classical educational methods with interactive three-dimensional (3D) visualization technology has great power to support and provide students with a unique opportunity to use them in the study process, training, and/or simulation of different medical procedures in terms of a Human Anatomy course. In 2016, Riga Stradinš University (RSU)…

Anatomy studies are an essential part of medical training. The study of neuroanatomy in particular presents students with a unique challenge of three-dimensional spatial understanding. Virtual Reality (VR) has been suggested to address this challenge, yet the majority of previous reports have implemented computer-generated or imaging-based models…

The main purpose of this research is to determine the effect of the REACT strategy in augmented reality applications on the problem-solving skills of teacher candidates. A parallel mixed method, which converges from mixed research designs, was used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 50 teacher candidates studying at the…

The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of physical and virtual tangrams on preschool children's learning engagement and achievement. Children listened to an e-storybook narration and solved puzzles individually. The experimental group (N = 31) completed puzzles embedded in the e-storybook using virtual tangrams, while the…

Fractions are an important mathematical concept for both more advanced mathematical concepts and daily living activities (e.g., cooking) and thus are important for all students to learn. In this study, researchers explored the use of the virtual-abstract (VA) instructional sequence to teach three middle school students with disabilities three…

Sampling distributions are fundamental to an understanding of statistical inference, yet research shows that students in introductory statistics courses tend to have multiple misconceptions of this important concept. A common instructional method used to address these misconceptions is computer simulation, often preceded by hands-on simulation…

The Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM) were released more than 10 years ago. This set of standards outlines the mathematics that all students should know and be able to do to prepare them for post-secondary education and employment. Students with learning disabilities (LD) continue to underperform in relation to their peers without…

Since one of the main goals of teaching geometry is to provide students with the opportunity to develop spatial reasoning, it is important to find the most suitable support for learning 3D geometry in elementary school. This paper compares Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and physical manipulatives support, with the aim to answer if…

We synthesized studies published since 2000 that assessed the effects of using virtual manipulatives to increase the mathematical accuracy of students with disabilities. We extracted a total of 1,796 raw data points from 114 cases across 35 single-case studies. By applying three-level multilevel modeling, we analyzed both immediate effects and…

Manipulatives offer students with disabilities access and support in classrooms. However, it is important for educators to be aware that concrete manipulatives are not the only option. Teachers serving students identified with a disability in the middle grades may consider selecting virtual manipulatives as supplement, complement, or in lieu of…

The role of manipulative materials in mathematics can be a contentious one. It seems that in the mind of some teachers, manipulatives are fine in the early years but have no place in a rigorous maths classroom as the students get older. It is a topic worth our consideration.

The aim of the current study is to compare the effect of virtual and physical manipulatives on preschool children's understanding of geometric shapes. A quasi-experimental research design was employed where children in the experimental group used tablet computers to access Augmented Reality (AR)-based virtual manipulatives, while children in the…

The virtual-representational-abstract (VRA) framework adapts an evidence-based practice, the concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) framework, while trying to meet students and teachers where they are in terms of technology interest and use in education. This article discusses the VRA framework and the advantages of virtual manipulatives, and…