Neurofunctional plasticity in fraction learning: An fMRI training study

Abstract

Background: Fractions are known to be difficult for children and adults. Behavioral studies suggest that magnitude processing of fractions can be improved via number line estimation (NLE) trainings, but little is known about the neural correlates of fraction learning. Method: To examine the neuro-cognitive foundations of fraction learning, behavioral performance and neural correlates were measured before and after a five-day NLE training. Results: In all evaluation tasks behavioral performance increased after training. We observed a fronto-parietal network associated with number magnitude processing to be recruited in all tasks as indicated by a numerical distance effect. For symbolic fractions, the distance effect on intraparietal activation was only observed after training. Conclusion: The absence of a distance effect of symbolic fractions before the training could indicate an initially less automatic access to their overall magnitude. NLE training facilitates processing of overall fraction magnitude as indicated by the distance effect in neural activation.

From Non-symbolic to Symbolic Proportions and Back: A Cuisenaire Rod Proportional Reasoning Intervention Enhances Continuous Proportional Reasoning Skills

“…Children who completed the 24 sessions of our intervention showed an increase in their non-symbolic continuous proportional reasoning. These results are consistent with previous findings showing that non-symbolic proportional reasoning is malleable through training non-symbolic estimation skills (Gouet et al, 2020) and mapping between non-symbolic and symbolic formats (Wortha et al, 2020). Importantly, in contrast to previous interventions implemented in highly structured, individual, computerized environments, the current intervention took place in an ecologically valid context (small group instruction in the children's classroom) and used inexpensive materials (Cuisenaire rods).…”

“…These interventions also leverage children's early proficiency at comparing and matching continuous proportional information (Boyer et al, 2008;Boyer and Levine, 2015;Hurst and Cordes, 2018). Indeed, one of the most promising methods to improve fraction skills is intensive training involving mapping non-symbolic continuous representations of proportions with fractions (Fazio et al, 2016;Braithwaite and Siegler, 2020;Soni and Okamoto, 2020;Wortha et al, 2020).…”

“…To date, only two studies have reported changes in non-symbolic continuous proportional reasoning following training. These studies employed individual, computerized interventions with carefully matched control conditions (Gouet et al, 2020;Wortha et al, 2020). In Gouet et al (2020), nine-year-old children went through one of two non-symbolic continuous proportional interventions or an absolute magnitude control condition.…”

“…In the second study, Wortha et al (2020) examined the effects of fraction intervention on adults' reaction times and brain activation while performing three tasks: a cross-format proportional matching task, a number line comparison task, and a fraction comparison task. Their results showed that after estimating fraction magnitudes using number lines for five days, participants became more precise in matching number lines to fractions and comparing number lines after the intervention.…”

From non-symbolic to symbolic proportions and back: a Cuisenaire rod proportional reasoning intervention enhances continuous proportional reasoning skills

“…These interventions also leverage children's early proficiency at comparing and matching continuous proportional information (Boyer et al, 2008;Boyer & Levine, 2015;Hurst & Cordes, 2018). Indeed, one of the most promising methods to improve fraction skills is intensive training involving mapping non-symbolic continuous representations of proportions with fractions (Braithwaite & Siegler, 2020;Fazio et al, 2016;Soni & Okamoto, 2020;Wortha et al, 2020).…”