Peer Review

Rational expression calculator

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Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This site is basically a calculator that let the users enter a rational algebraic expression in the provided form to get a simplified form where the essental steps such as factoring and cancellation are shown to help with algebraic simplification of rational expressions.
Type of Material:: Calculator/Simulation
Recommended Uses:: In-class activity, home assignment, and individual study.
Technical Requirements:: Any Browser
Identify Major Learning Goals:: This site can be used by students as a tool for simplifying the rational expressions via factoring and canceling common polynomial factors.
Target Student Population:: College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, and High School Math.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Elementery Algebra skills such as factoring, polynomial operations, and fraction simplification.

Rating:
Strengths:: This calculator site provides a simple, clear, and accurate form that can be easily used by users to create their own rational expression and then simplifies provided that he expression can be actually simplified. This calculator also allows for complex number calculations. The simplification is shown in step-by-step sequence and if a user clicks on a particular step, an extended explanation is shown in a color pop-up box.
Concerns:: If the site can provide some explanations or resources related to rational expressions, this would be a great help to users.

Rating:
Strengths:: This is a useful tool that effectively reinforces procedural skills, which is helpful for self study and review. It could also be used for in-class demonstration.
Concerns:: This site does not offer any instructions, guidance, or resources about the rational expression simplificiations/calculations because this can help students understand the topics without just getting the answers with no explanations.

Rating:
Strengths:: The site can be simply used by any users because of its clear layout, where the users can enter the expressions of their choice easily. A pop-up help box contains the basic explanations on how to enter known constants and functions.
Concerns:: The site lacks interactivity or feedback beyond showing steps.

Other Issues and Comments:: This site can be considered as a useful supplemental tool for practicing rational expressions, but instructions should be provided to offer a support to conceptual understanding.
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