1. A Comparison of Concrete and Virtual Manipulative Use in Third- and Fourth-Grade Mathematics Barbara A. Burns Ellen M. Hamm

2. Purpose Compare the effects of virtual (computer-based) and concrete (hands-on) manipulatives on student understanding of fractions and symmetry Add to the research on the topic which is limited Add clarity to the choice between concrete and virtual manipulatives

3. Existing Studies Anisa (1999) Students responded favorably to both & suggested combining them Olkun (2003) Virtual group improved slightly more Younger kids did better concrete Steen et al. (2006) No statistical difference

4. Authors’ Study 3 rd graders 102 4 groups fractions 4 th graders 54 3 groups symmetry

5. Groups using both types of manipulatives showed improvement The difference was not statistically significant When asked about the experience, more students commented about enjoying the virtual more Authors’ Results