A Virtual Manipulative to Support Rural Students in Developing Spatial Skills in Online Distance Education: Isometric Drawing Tool

Limited knowledge is currently available regarding the efficacy of mathematics education in online distance learning and the strategies that can be implemented to enhance its effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in rural students' spatial skills when engaging i...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author Eroglu, Deniz
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 2023
Subjects
Computer Simulation
Distance Education
Educational Technology
Foreign Countries
Grade 7
Instructional Effectiveness
Manipulative Materials
Mathematics Instruction
Online Courses
Program Effectiveness
Rural Schools
Secondary School Students
Skill Development
Spatial Ability
Turkey
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Summary:Limited knowledge is currently available regarding the efficacy of mathematics education in online distance learning and the strategies that can be implemented to enhance its effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in rural students' spatial skills when engaging in activities that necessitate the use of isometric drawing tool within the context of online distance education. A one-group pretest-posttest experimental design assessed the impact of an isometric drawing tool (IDT) on rural students' spatial skills in online education. This study involved five seventh-grade students from a rural secondary school. Data for this research included spatial skills test administered at the pre- and post-structured interviews, students' worksheets, and opinion forms. This study employed a three-stage analysis of data collection tools: first, assessing changes in students' spatial skills using a rubric; second, utilizing a qualitative descriptive analysis method on tests and worksheets to identify specific spatial skill improvements; and finally, conducting content analysis on opinion forms to capture student perspectives post-implementation. The results indicated that utilizing an isometric drawing tool during online distance education effectively improved rural students' spatial skills. While the students could not even draw cubes on isometric drawing paper at the beginning, it was observed that at the end of the study, they were able to accurately make 3D isometric drawings by positioning the cubes side by side and on top of each other. Overall, students expressed positive opinions about the use of virtual manipulatives. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend that educators consider incorporating isometric drawing tools and virtual manipulatives into their online mathematics teaching to enhance students' spatial skills.
ISSN:2687-1831