Leveraging Technology to Improve Second Graders' Understanding of Equivalence

• In Event: Student Learning, Reasoning, and Understanding in Mathematics Education

Abstract

Understanding mathematical equivalence is crucial for algebraic thinking, yet traditional arithmetic instruction often leads students to misinterpret the equal sign as an operational prompt rather than a relational symbol. Improving Children's Understanding of Equivalence (ICUE) Online was designed to help early elementary students address these misconceptions using scaffolded feedback through GIFs that minimize reading requirements. Using a cluster-randomized trial, we compared ICUE Online to an active control. Both conditions included 32 lessons delivered via an online platform. Students using ICUE Online scored significantly higher on equation-solving measures than control students. Though improvements on equal sign understanding weren't significant, findings demonstrate the potential of computer-based interventions with dynamic visual feedback for improving mathematical equivalence understanding in early elementary students.

Authors

• Vivian Hsu, WestEd

• Anna N. Bartel, WestEd

• Jacklyn Powers, WestEd

• Amy Lynn Miyahara, University of Notre Dame

• Drew Barrett, WestEd

• Jodi Davenport, WestEd

• Yvonne Kao, WestEd

• Nicole M. McNeil, University of Notre Dame