A few rubber bands and a pegged wooden “geoboard” have long proven to be an effective manipulative for aiding students’ understanding of basic mathematic principles.

Now, an engaging new app created by Clarity Innovations and The Math Learning Center brings this classic hands-on experience to the latest mobile devices including iPod Touches, iPhones, or iPads.

The Geoboard app is an open-ended tool for exploring a variety of mathematical topics introduced in the elementary and middle grades. Learners stretch colored virtual bands around pegs to form line segments and polygons and make discoveries about perimeter, area, angles, congruence, fractions, and more.

A key goal of the project was to explore ways to enhance the learning experience beyond what is possible on a physical geoboard. For example, in order to help students better visualize area, the Geoboard app lets them fill shapes with transparent color. On the iPad, users can also switch between a standard 25-peg board and an expanded board with 150 pegs.

The Geoboard is Clarity’s second learning app built in partnership with the Math Learning Center, following on the recent release of the Number Rack app.

Early reviews on Apple’s App store are excellent! Visit The Math Learning Center for more information about using the Geoboard: www.mathlearningcenter.org/apps.