1. ABEL KALUM
TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY- SAN MARCOS
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
EDTC 5320: MODELS OF INTEGRATION OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
29TH APRIL, 2009

2. STANDARDS ON FRACTIONS
The National Assessment of Educational Progress of 2004 reports show
that:
1. Fractions are exceedingly difficult for children to master.
2. Students are unable to remember prior experiences with fractions from
lower grade levels
3. Therefore, ways have to be sought to increase the learners' retention by
having activities-rich lessons on fractions. (Capraro, 2004)
The NCTM standards for grades 6-8 on fractions state that the learner
should be able to:
Work flexibly with fractions, decimals, and percents to solve
1.
problems;
2. Compare and order fractions, decimals, and percents efficiently and
find their approximate locations on a number line.

3. PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE?!
What?!

4. UNDERSTANDING FRACTIONS
The problem with fractions lies in dealing with :
1. Both the denominator and the numerator
2. Various arithmetic operations involved ex. adding two
fractions with different denominators
So the need for the teacher to create conducive environment
which allows for more recall / retention of prior knowledge
through :
1. Sustainable interest,
2. High problem-solving capability,
3. High motivational level, and
4. Willing to make own discoveries.

5. WAY FORWARD??
?

6. EXISTING SOLUTIONS
Solutions / approaches to improve students' understanding of fractions:
A. Sufficient time to judge relative size of fractional numbers... By
1.Teacher picking problems from different chapters and ask the students
to do them as homework with assistance of their parents and older
siblings.
2. Students learn one or two nodes (sections) of fractions each year.
3. Teaching fractions using different interpretations: part- whole ,
quotient, operator, measure and ratio. (Lamon, 2006)
B. Emphasizes successful attempts to teach children common
characteristics from past researchers :-
1. Active student involvement
2.Incorporate various types of manipulative materials
3. Children to talk together and with their teacher, and
4. Development of understanding and meaning prior to formal work with
symbols and operations. (Post & et al, 1981)

7. EXISTING SOLUTIONS… cont.
C. The use of manipulatives makes the lessons:-
1. More engaging by creating a hands-on experience
2. More active and provides an effective way for the students to
represent their thinking. (Capraro, 2004)
D. Changing the order of teaching fractions:-
1. Using instructional time in grades 4 and 5 to develop fraction
concepts and the ideas of order and equivalence,
2. Postponing most operations with fractions at the symbolic level
until grade 6.
3. As a result... teachers will find that their students will be more
successful with all aspects of operations with fractions and will
have a stronger quantitative understanding of them. (Cramer,
2002)

8. INSTRUCTIONAL GAMES
Yeah!
Effective instructional games has a relative
advantage over traditional classroom :
1. Offers personal feedback in a motivating
environment to help students build
fluency
2. Games… emphasize competition and
entertainment. Games employ fantasy,
action, uncertainty… interesting
3. In a game with level controls …. be self-
motivated. (Roblyer, 2006)

9. CHOOSING THE GAME: ELEMENTS
Should be:
 Fun,
 Competitive,
 Suit the learner's level and interest,
 Have a clear, informative and immediate
feedback, and
 Less violence and aggression … attract both
boys and girls.
Games can be used to:
1. Promote problem-solving skills among the
learners,
2. Encourage creativity,
3. Promote teamwork,
4. Skill- drill, and
5. Sometimes as a reward for students.

10. ACTION FRACTION RACE CAR
GAME : THE ACTIVITY
The game increases in complexity as it progresses:
1. The student is given a harder problem every time he
answers correctly
2. Level 1- Simple fractions with small value common
denominator, Level 2 – big value common denominators,
Level 3- big value denominators without common
denominators
Interest is sustained by the game design’s:-
1. Sound effect... makes it interesting and attention- catching,
2. Change of direction at every level
3. 30 second timing fear of losing speed increases the
learner's concentration, hence automaticity.

11. ACTION FRACTION RACE CAR
GAME : DESCRIPTION
 For 5th to 8th grade , students will learn about fractions, and how to
add and subtract fractions with different denominators
 This model of instruction incorporates the objectivist theory of
learning. (B. F. Skinner).
 The students should have prerequisite knowledge about adding and
subtracting fractions to play this game.
 There is a stimulus-response learning. For a particular stimulus [say
correct answer] there is a particular response[ in this case speed].
 positive reinforcement …. Acceleration of the race car
 negative reinforcement …. Deceleration of the car
 punishment …. Braking
 hesitates over 30 seconds another question is given, lose a lot of
speed.

12. ROLE OF THE TEACHER
The teacher should make sure:
1. Involve the students when designing a rubric for
assessment
2. Discuss the game, develop students’ interest, rules.
3. Prepare the instructional environment: Enough
computers, safe website.
4. Ensure the students do not spend lot of time on the
game.
5. Choose the game in which the game element does not
overshadow the instructional element.
6. To encourage students reach high levels of the game

13. Disadvantages:
 Some students especially girls do not like playing games
 Some students may have had bad experiences with racing
cars, accident etc
 Some students may just have negative attitude to fractions
 It may bore after few minutes of play… not much activity
 If used as a reward it may discourage students who are not
good mathematicians
 Knowledge is not constructed
 May not serve well if students do not have good numerical
skills from past math

14. Advantages:
1. Promote problem-solving skills among the learners,
2. Encourage creativity,
3. Promote teamwork,
4. Skill- drill, and
5. Sometimes as a reward for students, leads to more
learning
6. Increases automaticity
7. Interaction and immediate feedback
8. Access to students with disabilities to practice, gauge
themselves

15. REFERENCES
Lamon, S.J. (2006). Teaching Fractions and Ratios for Understanding: Essential
1.
Content Knowledge and Instructional Strategies for Teachers. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
Cramer, K. A., et. al. (2002). Initial fraction learning by fourth- and fifth- grade
2.
students: a comparison of the effects of using a commercial curricula with the effects
of using the Rational Number Curriculum. Journal for Research in Mathematics
Education, 33 (2), 111- 144.
Roblyer, M.D. (2006). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper Saddle
3.
River, N.J: Pearson/ Merrill Prentice Hall.
Grabe, M, & Grabe, C. (2007). Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning.
4.
Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Lever- Duffy, J, & MacDonald, J.P. (2008). Teaching and Learning with Technology.
5.
Boston, MA: Pearson/ Ally and Bacon.
Capraro, R.M.(2004). Teaching fractions: Strategies used for teaching fractions to
6.
middle grade students. Journal of Research in Childhood Education,18, 193-198.
Lesh, R., Post, T., & Behr, M. (1988). Proportional reasoning. Number concepts and
7.
operations in the middle grades. Reston, VA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates & National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 93-118
Post, T. (1981).Fractions: Results and Implications from National Assessment. The
8.
Arithmetic Teacher, 28(9), 26-31.
Action Fraction Game: http://funschool.kaboose.com/fun-blaster/back-to-
9.
school/games/game_action_fraction.html

16. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
 Dr. Tim Yuen
 Fellow students
QUESTIONS?