Teaching Fraction Computations to Children With Mathematics Difficulties Using a Virtual Number Line Intervention

Abstract

Providing multiple representations of mathematical ideas is an established strategy for supporting students in making connections between high-level conceptual ideas. One form of assistive technology that provides students with such representations is mathematics manipulatives. Virtual manipulatives, in particular, are backed by a growing research base for supporting students with special needs. However, their application and prospective benefits across many curricular domains are still unknown, including critical skills such as computations with fractions. Using a single-subject multiple-probe design, this study examined an intervention featuring explicit instruction and a virtual manipulative number line to teach computations with fractions to three middle school students with mathematics difficulties. All three students’ data exhibited a functional relation between the intervention and their accuracy performance in solving computations. These findings and the implications of using virtual representations in mathematics education for struggling learners are discussed.