• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.233-251
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to propose instructional methods using base-ten blocks in teaching the division of decimal for 5th grade students by analyzing the process of their conceptual comprehension. The students in this study were found to understand the two main meanings of the division of decimal, distribution and area, by modeling them with base-ten blocks. They were able to identify the algorithm through the use of base-ten blocks and to understand the principle of calculations by connecting the manipulative activities to each stage of algorithm. The students were also able to determine using base-ten blocks whether the results of division of decimal might be reasonable. This study suggests that the appropriate use of base-ten blocks promotes the conceptual understanding of the division of decimal.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to propose instructional methods using base-ten blocks in teaching the multiplication of decimal for 5th grade students by analyzing the process of their conceptual comprehension of multiplication of decimal. The students in this study were found to understand various meanings of operations (e.g., repeated addition, bundling, and area) by modeling them with base-ten blocks. They were able to identify the algorithm through the use of base-ten blocks and to understand the principle of calculations by connecting the manipulative activities to each stage of algorithm. The students were also able to determine whether the results of multiplication of decimal might be reasonable using base-ten blocks. This study suggests that appropriate use of base-ten blocks promotes the conceptual understanding of the multiplication of decimal.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.45 no.3 s.114
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• pp.275-293
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to analyze the connection between students' errors and prior knowledge as an attempt to design an efficient teaching method in decimal computation. A survey on decimal computations was conducted in two 6th grade elementary school classrooms. Error patterns on decimal computations were analyzed and clinical interviews were conducted with 8 students according to their error patterns. Main errors resulted from the insufficient understanding of prior knowledge such as place value, connection between decimals and fractions, meaning of operations, and computation principles of fractions. In order to help students overcome such obstacles, a teaching experiment was designed in a manner that strengthens a profound understanding of prior knowledge related to decimal computations, and connects such knowledge to actual decimal calculations. This study showed that well-designed lesson plans with base-ten blocks might decrease students' errors by helping them understand decimals and connect their prior knowledge to decimal operations.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.17-24
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of action observational physical training (AOPT) on manual dexterity and corticomotor facilitation in stroke patients. Ten hemiparetic patients participated in this study. Each subject was asked to participate the three conditions; base condition (Base), physical training (PT), AOPT. Participants were asked to observe the action in the video that a therapist moved the blocks during the AOPT conditions. Corticomotor facilitation was determined in three conditions by monitoring changes in the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited in hand muscles by transcranial magnetic stimulation. MEP responses were measured from the first dorsal interosseous after participants attended to three conditions. For the manual dexterity, Box and Block test (BBT) was used. The results of present study were summarized as follows: MEPs amplitude significantly tended to be larger than PT and Base condition. The scores of BBT in the AOPT condition were also significantly larger than other conditions. In conclusion, this finding of present study indicates that physical training for observation of an action is beneficial for enhancing a dexterity of paretic arm in stroke patients.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.195-215
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• 2001

The purpose of this paper is to present a specific set of home teaching methods in hopes to prevent slow learner of the elementary mathematics. This paper deals with the number and operations, one of five topics in the elementary mathematics A survey of two hundred elementary school teachers was made to see the teacher's opinions of the role of home studying and to concretize the contents of the research topics. There were asked which is the most essential contents for the concrete loaming and which is the most difficult monad that might cause slow leaner. And those were found to be; counting, and arithmetic operations(addition and subtraction) of one or two-digit numbers and multiplication and their concepts representations and operations(addition and subtraction) of fractions. The home teaching methods are based on the situated learning about problem solving in real life situations and on the active teaming which induces children's participation in the process of teaching and learning. Those activities in teaching each contents are designed to deal with real objects and situations. Most teaching methods are presented in the order of school curriculum. To teach the concepts of numbers and the place value, useful activities using manipulative materials (Base ten blocks, Unifix, etc.) or real objects are also proposed. Natural number's operations such as addition, subtraction and multiplication are subdivided into small steps depending upon current curriculum, then for understanding of operational meaning and generalization, games and activities related to the calculation of changes are suggested. For fractions, this paper suggest 10 learning steps, say equivalent partition, fractional pattern, fractional size, relationship between the mixed fractions and the improper fraction, identifying fractions on the number line, 1 as a unit, discrete view point of fractions, comparison of fractional sizes, addition and subtraction, quantitative concepts. This research basically centers on the informal activities of kids under the real-life situation because such experiences are believed to be useful to prevent slow learner. All activities and learnings in this paper assume children's active participation and we believe that such active and informal learning would be more effective for learning transfer and generalization.