{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/90773"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/90773","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Developing a relational meaning of the equal sign: effects of using a balance analogy in a game-based virtual environment","abstract":"Understanding the equal sign relationally is important for success in arithmetic and algebra. Yet, many elementary school children continue to perceive it operationally, as a symbol that indicates computation. Mathematics educators have long suggested the use of the balance scale as an appropriate context for developing the relational meaning of the equal sign. However, studies that directly evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of the balance scale remain limited. This experimental study, with 148 second- and third-grade students, examined the effects of using a virtual balance scale in promoting a relational meaning of the equal sign. Findings indicate that although the virtual manipulative may be helpful in supporting a relational meaning of the equal sign, there are other features associated with the manipulative that have advantages over the use of the dynamic virtual balance scale in promoting students’ learning of mathematical equivalence. Results suggest that seemingly intuitive manipulatives that are perceptually rich may not promote optimal learning.","abstract_html":"Understanding the equal sign relationally is important for success in arithmetic and algebra. Yet, many elementary school children continue to perceive it operationally, as a symbol that indicates computation. Mathematics educators have long suggested the use of the balance scale as an appropriate context for developing the relational meaning of the equal sign. However, studies that directly evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of the balance scale remain limited. This experimental study, with 148 second- and third-grade students, examined the effects of using a virtual balance scale in promoting a relational meaning of the equal sign. Findings indicate that although the virtual manipulative may be helpful in supporting a relational meaning of the equal sign, there are other features associated with the manipulative that have advantages over the use of the dynamic virtual balance scale in promoting students’ learning of mathematical equivalence. Results suggest that seemingly intuitive manipulatives that are perceptually rich may not promote optimal learning.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bajwa, Neet Priya"],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Curriculum and Instruction","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Perry, Michelle","Lubienski, Sarah","Lindgren, Robb","Hoffman, Daniel"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-07-07T20:27:32Z","date_published":"2016-07-07T20:27:32Z","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:26:34Z","subjects":["Equal sign","Equivalence","Virtual Balance Scale","Relational meaning","Elementary mathematics"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright 2016 Neet Priya Bajwa"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90773","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Perry, Michelle","Lubienski, Sarah","Lindgren, Robb","Hoffman, Daniel"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bajwa, Neet Priya"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2016-07-07T20:27:32Z","2020-03-27T09:15:10Z","2022-05-14T09:15:13Z","2016-04-21","2016-05"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Curriculum and Instruction"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Equal sign","Equivalence","Virtual Balance Scale","Relational meaning","Elementary mathematics"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2016 Neet Priya Bajwa"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90773"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Understanding the equal sign relationally is important for success in arithmetic and algebra. 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Yet, many elementary school children continue to perceive it operationally, as a symbol that indicates computation. Mathematics educators have long suggested the use of the balance scale as an appropriate context for developing the relational meaning of the equal sign. However, studies that directly evaluate the pedagogical effectiveness of the balance scale remain limited. This experimental study, with 148 second- and third-grade students, examined the effects of using a virtual balance scale in promoting a relational meaning of the equal sign. Findings indicate that although the virtual manipulative may be helpful in supporting a relational meaning of the equal sign, there are other features associated with the manipulative that have advantages over the use of the dynamic virtual balance scale in promoting students’ learning of mathematical equivalence. 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