he Virtual Playground: an Educational Virtual Reality Environment for Evaluating Interactivity and Conceptual Learning

blocks (the result of 1/3, not 1/4) to the swings area. This correct action
seems, in part at least, to be attributed to her intuition (enhanced by the visual
cues provided in the VE) rather than her calculations.

Figure 8. A 10 year-old girl (left) interacting with the Virtual Playground and a 9
year-old girl (right) observing the robot while he removes blocks from the
playground.

6.3 Response to system feedback

Similarly to Lisa, Julie, a 9 year-old girl participating in the interactive VR
condition, chose 1/4 as the fraction that results in the larger number.
However, unlike Lisa, Julie knew that 1/4 of 12 results in 3 blocks and
attempted to fit these three blocks in the correct place so as to complete the
task. Julie tried out various solutions before realizing, through an approach of
reflection that was guided by her recall of system feedback, that she should
have chosen 1/3 instead of 1/4:

12. Observer: Ok, so one third of twelve or one fourth of twelve is gonna give
us more?

13. Julie: One fourth

14. Observer: How many blocks will one fourth give us?

15. Julie: So... [counts the blocks on the ground] ...there's twelve blocks... so,
three.

16. Observer: So, where are you going to put these three blocks?

Julie clicks on her blue button to see the playground from above (Figure 9). In
the top-down view she indicates where she plans to place the three blocks:

17. Julie: Two, either on this side... or no, I mean three blocks on around... this
bit.

18

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