Audience

Learning fractions and measurement is an activity that can be introduced at many

ages although a prerequisite is that students should have an understanding of

numbers and how numbers relate to a physical object. I structured this activity with

a middle school audience in mind although it would be effective with older and

younger students as well. The website is structured so that students can work

through the lessons on their own although I have included lesson planning and

structures for teachers to follow as well. It would be a good idea for teachers to

take a minute and familiarise themselves with the format before teaching the

included lessons.

Learning goals

Students from ages as early as grade 5 to higher levels should be familiar

with the use of a ruler to measure using imperial and metric (SI) codes. Measuring

and using fractions can be a difficult area to teach if students are taught through a

traditional procedural-based method. Unfortunately it is shown that most teachers

have been taught to use an algorithm to work with fractions and often do not have a

comprehensive picture of fractions. Lee, Orrill (2016) “Measurement has a unique

place in Mathematics curricula. Considering its vital role in math, science and in our

life, students should fully understand not only “how to measure” but also “what it

means to measure”. However, several research studies on teaching and learning

measurement have indicated that students have a poor and superficial

understanding of length, volume and area measurement”. Tansisman, Aksu (2016)

 I will concentrate specifically on linear measurement although I would hope

that the skills gained would be easily applied to other forms of measurement. Liquid

and mass measurements are similar in method as they do incorporate fractions so it

should not be too much of a stretch to apply the knowledge gained.

The International System of Units (SI) was adopted in most countries as early

as 1875. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement) The unit of length chosen

was the meter and most countries still use this system. Imperial measurement was

adopted in Britain before SI units were in wide use and are still used in the United

States. Despite being a predominantly American base of measurement, the Imperial

system is very much in use in many trades throughout the world. The construction

industry typically uses the inch and foot base of measurement and not the SI

equivalent of a meter. Machinists use the 1/1000” measure of inch while building,;

seldom using millimeters. It is therefore important as a purely practical skill for our

students to understand and use fractional imperial measurement by foot, inch and

the fraction of an inch for smaller measures.

Besides learning fractions as a way of understanding measurement by the

inch, our students need to have a full and coherent picture of a fraction. Most

students understand fractional measurement more clearly than we give them credit

for. Any kid will know that having 2 quarters is better than one, or a ½ of a pie is a

bigger piece than a 1/3 of a pie. The problem is that when we make the “logical”

leap from a piece of pie or counting money to linear measurement and fractions,

confusion often arises. I hope to address this gap of knowledge through the

accompanying website.
 I also intend to provide the opportunity for students to learn how to use a

ruler or scale in a practical way. The student will gain familiarity and avoid the

pitfalls surrounding the use of a ruler.

Problems

The learning gap for fractional measurement is two-fold. The actual physical

use of a ruler and the comprehension of units and divisors of units is one gap,

fractions and understanding the concept of a fraction is another. Not only do

students have difficulty visualising and understanding what a fraction is but also

many teachers do not either. Tanheiser, Browning (2014). I would suggest that as a

teacher learns so they teach, which adds to the confusion.

The first issue is that of understanding fractions. Our students have shown

that while they can use procedure to solve problems they lack true comprehension.

In Misconceptions of Students Learning Math at a Primary Level, Ghulam, (2016),

the gap in knowledge is made clear by reviewing a few questions posed to the

students. One question asks, “Which of the two figures shows 2/3 of the figures

shaded?” The student response showed 58% thought that 2/3 meant 2 parts

unshaded. 5% were correct which leads to “the evidence that the students do not

have the idea that there are 3 parts, out of which two are shaded.” Ghulam, (2016)

Students also could not demonstrate the ability to tell which is bigger, ¼ or 2/9ths

with 6.5% correct. They also could not convert 18/7 into a mixed fraction. The tests

showed that students did not have conceptual knowledge of a fraction.

 Perhaps a good place to start teaching fractions to our students is to ensure

that our teachers understand it as well. Of 5 areas in math studied; Whole Numbers

and Operations, Decimals, Fractions, Geometry, Measurement and Algebra, Fraction

content has the highest number of published work. Yang, Reys, (2008) “Despite the

available resources, new teachers demonstrated the ability to use algorithms,

multiply, divide and compare fractions but were unable to explain why these

procedures worked, or to stray from them, even if using number sense seemed more

appropriate. “Yang, Reys, (2008) Teachers often learn a method based on

Procedural Knowledge, which focuses on a set of rote instructions, or specific

method rather than a more internalised Conceptual Knowledge. Lee, Orrill, (2009)

Learning how to work with fractions without understanding the “how” of use,

teachers demonstrate a lack of an ability to reason with fractions as a term of

quantity. Moyer, Mailley, (2004) This lack of comprehension is only naturally passed

to the students who learn to use fractions as procedural knowledge, which is not

fully understood or internalised. Secondary teachers also were not able to

contextualise 1 ¾ + ½. Most could not generate word problems or situations

although most could use the “invert and multiply” method to solve the problem.

Yang, Reys, (2008)

The issue is that fractions are often being treated as an algorithm to be

“solved” rather than understood. The other common problem is that very basic

comprehension is being built on by even more procedural methods, which

compounds the confusion. “Success in math relies mostly on how learners

internalise the meaning related to the procedure.” Tansisman, Aksu (2016)

 I would like to support the very starting point of working with fractions.

Adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions is something I will address at a later

point but in the meantime I would like to use linear measurement as a way of

understanding fractions. A website such as the one I am visualising would offer

several ways to address the problems associated with learning fractions and

measurement.

The second problem I would like to focus on is that of practical

measurement. Research has shown that 5 issues of measurement are common;

starting from 1, rather than 0, Ignoring or mixing units, incorrect ruler alignment,

counting hash marks or lines rather than spaces and focusing on the endpoint.

Tansisman, Aksu (2016) During testing, 40% of 6th grade students had difficulty

grasping the idea of a zero point and ruler structure. 55% of the students thought

that a broken ruler could not be used to measure a 2m cloth. During the test with a

“broken” ruler, student answers included misconceptions that a ruler must be

longer than the object being measured, a broken ruler has lost its function,

centimeters are not to be used to measure meters and centimeters can only be used

to measure objects in centimeters. Tansisman, Aksu (2016)

I thought it would be interesting to try a similar experiment on my son,

Rupert. I assumed Rupert would have no problem as he is a straight A student in

grade 7. What I did was to draw a scale on a piece of paper:

I asked him how long the line was based on the scale above it. He answered “one”.

This was interesting to me so I asked how he came up with that answer. He

explained that he “counted the line”, meaning the line in the middle. I tried the same

test on a grade 7 student, Anna, in my woodworking class. Her answer was 3. As it

turns out, given a similar test, answers can vary widely. Some students will say “8”

(the last number), “21” (6,7 and 8 added), and the answer Rupert and Anna gave

which happens when students count the lines, or hash marks, rather than counting

the spaces. Tansisman, Aksu (2016) Incidentally, I asked Rupert if he thought that

his answer was right (in a leading, questioning way) and after a bit of thought he

realised the correct answer, which is 2. Anna also realised the correct answer very

quickly, after which she walked around the class trying out the test on other

students.

The two primary issues of not fully understanding, or not having a picture of

fractions and the practical use of a ruler will be addressed in tandem throughout my

website. I believe the two areas are problems that are well addressed together; the

comprehension of one supporting the other. The format of a website such as this

will allow for a simple base level of comprehension upon which more complicated

ideas would follow.

Design Document

The format of the website will be designed so that a teacher can use the

resources as a class or students and teachers will be able to work through

everything individually. I would hope that teachers work through the format to

ensure comprehension before teaching it to students. The idea of a fraction will be

introduced by a video that demonstrates a simple way of understanding linear

fractions. The students will be challenged to try the method in the video as they

measure objects in the room. The following videos will answer problems as they

arise by making the move to the next logical step. Students can work at their own

pace or as a class, reviewing the videos on their own or having them projected to the

whole room. The intention is to avoid complicated language and have fun practical

ways of understanding fractions and fractional measurement. Because I am linking

linear measurement and fractions together I am avoiding teaching methods that

involve pie shapes or grids. These methods may be traditional ways to teach

fractions but I would like to keep a consistent focus throughout instruction by using

a ruler or similar scale and shape. The reason I am doing this is that I have taught

fractions for many years using coin values (quarters, half dollars, etc.) and round

shapes such as pies but making the leap from fractions in one format (i.e. circular) to

another (linear) is often a stumbling block.

I am also avoiding specific units until the end of the lessons. Students enjoy

coming up with their own names of units of measurement, which works well and

will be introduced in later steps. Using familiar objects as a unit reference such as

shoes, pieces of paper and books work to provide a conceptual framework of

comprehension. Once students understand a fraction and how it is used as a scale of

reference in measurement it is appropriate to suggest the name of a unit such as

“inch”.

Students in my class struggle with the physical use of a ruler. They fall into

the traps I outlined earlier very quickly. One section of the website will allow the

students to try a ruler on the screen and enter answers. Correct answers will allow

the student to move to the next level or be provided with a support to allow moving

forward more clearly. Starting from a simple scale, which is made more complicated

by fractioning, will allow for gradual conceptual comprehension. This section is also

very practical because it allows the student to answer and move on without having

to seek guidance. I would also like to have the website structured so that incorrect

answers are used in a formative, productive way. Structuring lessons similar to this

in a live setting such as a classroom are difficult to achieve. A class set of rulers with

varying levels of scale and a way of monitoring their use and comprehension in a

class of 30 students is difficult indeed. My intention is that this website will address

these issues.

Assessment

Monitoring student progress should be simple. The first section of videos

introduces several activities that allow for an active learning process. Students will

be moving around and assessment must be made “on the fly”. The completion of the

activity will be timed so that if the teacher feels it is appropriate the exercise can be

set up as a competition. The website also suggests different objects to measure and

after the student enter their value, a typical value is shown. The website forms are
setup such that as students enter the information it is compared to an average and

totalled. If students get very low totals it is a clear indication that the student either

does not understand or that the student entered ‘nonsense” answers.

The second section involves “virtual measuring”. Students can move on only

when they complete a step. Assessment is very simple because the learner cannot

move on without demonstrating understanding. In both sections I will also include

a checklist of comprehension that the teacher can refer to ensure student

understanding.

References

Moyer, Malley, (2004). Inchworm and a Half, Developing fractions and

measurement concepts. Teaching children mathematics, National Council of

Teachers of Mathematics

Lee, Orrill, (2004). Middle grade teacher’s organisation of measurement, Fraction

and division concepts.

Ghulam, (2016). Misconceptions of students learning math at primary level. Bulletin

of Educational Resources

Tansisman, Aksu (2016). Massachusetts institute of science and math education.

Tanheiser, Browning (2014). Prospective elementary mathematics teacher and

content knowledge.

Peterson, Ridenour, Somers (1990). Declarative, Conceptual and procedural

knowledge in the understanding of fractions and the acquisition of ruler

measurement skills. Journal of Experimental education.

Yang, Reys (2010). Promoting sixth grades number sense and learning attitudes via

technology-based environment. Educational technology and society