NUMERICAL LITERACY

TUTORIAL 2.2
 QUESTION
• Physical manipulative materials such as counters are
commonly used to promote the learning of
computation among primary school children. In
recent years, the advancement in computer
technology has resulted in the creation of virtual
manipulative materials that can be seen and
manipulated on a computer screen.
• Compare and contrast the effectiveness of using
virtual manipulative materials and physical
manipulative materials in the teaching and learning
computation among primary school children.
COMPUTER / TECHNOLOGY
TEACHING
PHYSICAL MANIPULATIVE
MATERIALS
 The materials

Fingers
Sweets
Cakes
Tamarind seeds
Abacus
Any possible ABM
Identify appropriate and inappropriate uses of
calculator and computer in the teaching of
computation among primary school children.
The advantage of calculator and computer

• Calculators and computers allow the students access to

mathemathical concepts and experiences from which they were
previously limited with only paper and pencil.

• In the past, paper and pencil were only the tools available.
Appropriate use of technology and associated pedagogy will get more
students thinking and reasoning mathemathically. Thus more people
will develop usefull mathemathical understanding and mathemathical
power.

• Calculators and computers eliminate much of that work, considered to

be advanced techonological tools that are welcomed into classrooms.

• They are small enough to carry in a pocket, purse, or backpack.

• The use of calculators and computers simply
allows teachers and students to spend more time
on the non- computational parts of the problem
solving process.

• Several investigation and studies have proven

that calculators and computers are use makes
students more confident about their
mathemathical ability and the work they are
doing.

• Allow students to become more active learners.

• Rather than just sitting back and passivelly accepthing the
examples given by the teacher, students encouraged to
develop their own examples and formulate their own
hypothesis.

• Also promotes group work and communication among peers

and classmates and subsequently the exchangeof ideas.

• Not necessary to memorize the rules and formulas.

• Calculate in several minutes and many sheets of notebook

paper before can now be executed with the touch of a botton.
Inappropriate uses of calculator and computer

• Students use calculators because they are too lazy to

compute the answers on their own, calculators and
computers do the work for the student.

• The use of calculators prevents students from effectively

learning the basic mathemathics they will need when they
enter the workforce.

• Students will become so depend on calculators and

computers.
• Because calculators do all of the work for the
student, he/she will not be stimulated or
challeged enough.
10 Q