Comparing ICT With Physical Manipulative Supported Learning of 3D Geometry in Elementary School

Abstract

Since one of the main goals of teaching geometry is to provide students with the opportunity to develop spatial reasoning, it is important to find the most suitable support for learning 3D geometry in elementary school. This paper compares Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and physical manipulatives support, with the aim to answer if their use produces different effects on students’ spatial reasoning. The participants in the study were 74 4th graders (10–11 years old) who were assigned to two equal groups that attended a month of the experimental program. Group EICT learned with the ICT support and group EMAN learned with physical manipulatives support. The results showed that there was no difference in students’ 3D geometry achievement regardless of the support that was used, and that both supports provided learning access for all students. According to our results, teaching geometry should be directed to the complementary use of physical manipulatives and ICT support, depending on the technological and software resources available to schools and teachers’ preference of the support. ICT can assist in achieving learning equity, but there is a need for a systematic development of the ICT sources that could be used as instructional manipulatives, their promotion, and the support for the teachers.