A proof-of-concept virtual learning environment for professional learning of teachers of mathematics: Students’ thinking about decimals

Abstract

This study details the trial of a proof-of-concept virtual learning environment (POCVLE) for professional learning of teachers of mathematics, focussing on student thinking about the well-researched topic of decimal notation. The POC-VLE was situated in a virtual mathematics classroom where the teacher participant observed scripted interactions between teacher and student avatars. It was found that exploration of the POC-VLE was effective for enabling teacher participants to determine the thinking of an avatar student with ‘whole number thinking’; demonstrating their understanding by answering items in the same way as the avatar student. Teacher participants predicted that other teachers of ..