No transfer effect of a fraction number line game on fraction understanding or fraction arithmetic: A randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT

Fractions are hard to understand for students. According to Siegler's integrated theory, magnitude understanding is central to numerical development. Whole-number magnitude understanding can be improved by serious games that include practicing mapping numbers onto number lines or similar one-dimensional visuospatial representations. These games were effective even when they did not include direct instruction on whole numbers. Previous studies have also evaluated whether similar number line estimation (NLE) interventions improve fraction learning. We contribute to this literature by evaluating how the catch-the-monster game with fractions affects NLE, magnitude understanding, and arithmetic with fractions in a randomized controlled pretest-intervention-posttest design. The game included NLE with feedback but no direct instruction. A sample of 188 fifth- to eighth-graders participated in a fraction number line game condition, a scaffolded fraction number line games condition, or an active control condition. In fifth- and sixth-graders, participation in the intervention improved the trained measure of fraction understanding (NLE on 0-1 line) but left unchanged two untrained measures of fraction understanding (NLE on 0-5 lines and fraction comparison) and a measure of fraction arithmetic. Seventh- and eighth-graders showed no intervention effects. The lack of transfer in fifth- and sixth-graders indicates that gamified NLE interventions can complement but not replace more direct instruction on fraction concepts and fraction arithmetic.