Taiwanese Elementary School Teachers Apply Web-based Virtual Manipulatives to Teach Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary school teachers in Taiwan apply web-based virtual manipulatives to mathematics teaching and issues that arise in these applications. Four elementary school teachers in Taiwan were selected to participate in a case study. They selected applets from NLVM and designed learning activities to apply in class. Teachers and students indicated difficulties in using these applets in an English interface. Based on observations of the cases, it is better to have the activities predesigned so teachers who wish to use these virtual manipulative can use them more effectively. In addition, thoughtful consideration must be given to the instructional design of the course and the appropriate use of Web-based mathematical manipulatives.