Since most of the applications are free, virtual manipulations are much cheaper than concrete ones. Many virtual applications also offer immediate feedback to students that can self-monitor and explore the concept correctly and efficiently. So here this article gives the advantages and disadvantages of virtual manipulative to better understand this topic.

Advantages of virtual manipulatives:

1. Most importantly, it is given Immediate feedback.
2. Easier to maneuver and keep together.
3. Would keep students attention.
4. Available anywhere, anytime, to anyone.
5. Often provides an explicit connection between visual and symbolic representation.
6. Gives hints if you get the answer wrong.
7. Allow more complex operations to be learned.
8. Math and technology integration is powerful partners in meeting standards.
9. A lot quicker to grasp the concept.
10. Catches the attention of the technology generation
11. Makes integer subtraction a lot more clear.
12. Actually have to relate to the number.
13. Easier to store and clean up.
14. Gives step-by-step instruction, making me see what I was really doing.
15. Would keep students attention.
16. Free access for schools that is online.
17. Older children or students may view using virtual manipulatives as more sophisticated.

Disadvantages of virtual manipulatives:

1. Can’t actually touch them.
2. No instruction on how to enter a problem.
3. Sometimes forces you to think abstractly.
4. Doesn’t really make you find the answer on your own.
5. Sometimes take technology for granted. Often, don’t get a complete understanding of why a problem is solved in any way.
6. It doesn’t allow you to layer pieces to see the equivalences.
7. May limit the teacher’s ability to follow the student’s thought processes.
8. Might feel like do vs learn or explore.
9. Some make it too easy.
10. The machine does the students’ job so that they can guess the correct answer.

Thank you for reading this article. If you have any queries regarding our article on the Advantages and disadvantages of  Virtual Manipulative then do comment in the comment section below.

Explore more information:

1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Natural Language Processing
2. Advantages and disadvantages of direct manipulation

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Divya Chauhan

Divya Chauhan is an expert writer with 10+ years of experience as a content writer. They specialize in making complex topics like IT, Health, and general topic easy to understand. Divya has written over thousands of articles to help people with their content. Prior to joining Way2benefits’s editorial team in 2020, Divya worked as a Professor of BCA college and freelancer blogger.

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