Teacher-delivered virtual manipulative mathematics intervention to individuals with extensive support needs.

Three high-school students with intellectual disability joined Zoom from their special-ed classroom.

Their teacher showed equivalent-fraction problems on a shared screen. Students dragged virtual pizza pieces to show ½ = 2⁄4.

The study used a multiple-baseline design across kids to see if the virtual lesson alone was enough.

All three teens learned to pick matching fractions on the screen.

Two students lost the skill a week later. When the teacher added a simple self-monitoring checklist (“Did I pick the right slice?”), both kept the skill for four more weeks.

Waldron et al. (2023) and Yuwiler et al. (1992) also used multiple-baseline designs and got fast gains, but they taught young autistic kids to follow adult requests, not math. The same design works across ages and goals.

Robinson et al. (1974) showed that plain homework plus consequences boosts math marks for general-ed students. Park et al. (2022) shows virtual manipulatives work for students with extensive support needs—different tactic, same subject, new population.

van der Miesen et al. (2024) warns that students taking alternate assessments aim low. Teaching grade-level fractions with cool tech pushes back against low expectations.

You can run evidence-based math lessons on Zoom without fancy software. Drag-and-drop pizza pieces give clear visuals and immediate feedback. Add a short self-check sheet if you want the skill to last. The combo fits easily into an IEP goal and takes one prep period to set up.