Supporting Conceptual Change with a Game-Like Fraction Tutor

摘要

Fraction knowledge development and the interference of integer number knowledge reflect a problem of conceptual change. Based on empirical evidence for the order of acquisition of the fraction concept, we designed a Game-like Fraction Tutor that assists students in acquiring visual fluency with the number line as the main external representation for fractions. Our tutor includes assessment and training levels and is characterized by two unique features i) the tasks included in the assessment levels can track and expose students' misconceptions that arise when students apply their existing knowledge for integers in problems with fractions and ii) the tutor's teaching sequence follows the order of acquisition of the fraction concept, aiming to support students overcome these misconceptions. Our Game-like Fraction Tutor can be integrated into both curricular and extracurricular activities to either assess students' knowledge or to train the students in using external representations for fractions. Given that the design of our tutor can replicate the design of a training experiment, the tutor can be used as a tool to further explore research questions regarding the effects of external representations and of the teaching sequence on fraction understanding for elementary school students.