Artifact-Centric Activity Theory—A Framework for the Analysis of the Design and Use of Virtual Manipulatives

I Thought This Was a Study on Math Games: Attribute Modification in Children’s Interactions with Mathematics Apps

“…For example, a child who struggles to complete a task may proactively choose a task that requires a different combination of mathematical attributes. However, few apps offer extensive user control over individual app attributes [18].…”

“…Some designers attempt to create research-based, developmentally appropriate technology tools [6,18,26], which implies efforts to align artifact attributes with potential subject attributes. These efforts can also involve the upper right triangle of ACAT, artifact-object-rules, which accounts for the influence of the "rules" of mathematics education and technology design [18], in relation to the subject. In particular, developers can purposefully include developmentally appropriate, flexible attributes that support independent learning, as the artifact-centric activity does not always occur with experts present.…”

“…To make these connections explicit, developers could include attributes such as labels that identify the properties as children apply them. Making such attributes optional and controlled by the user [18] would allow children or teachers to implement them as developmentally appropriate. For example, initial independent interactions may occur without labels to encourage exploration, but during follow-up discussions, teachers may activate labels to help highlight the mathematics present.…”

“…Understanding these characteristics and patterns may inform design, implementation, and research concerning educational technology. The main axis of ACAT is the activity between a subject (e.g., child) and an object (e.g., mathematics), mediated by an artifact (e.g., mathematics app) [17,18]. The presence of the artifact at the center of the axis focuses attention on its role as mediator between subject and object.…”

Kindergarten Children’s Interactions with Touchscreen Mathematics Virtual Manipulatives: An Innovative Mixed Methods Analysis

“…These mathematical practices involve an array of interrelated mathematical constructs (e.g., finger gnosis: representing a quantity with one's fingers), but the focus of this study is on the relatively general categories as delineated. Although research on children's interactions with technology to learn mathematics is growing, research specifically investigating young children's learning related to foundational elements of number sense and arithmetic while using touchscreen virtual manipulatives is in its infancy (e.g., Holgersson et al, 2016;Ladel & Kortenkamp, 2016). Given the plethora of technologies and their increasing popularity in the mathematics classroom (e.g., Calder, 2015), more research is required to explore this complex field.…”