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Design Overview

One fraction button to handle proper, improper, and mixed fractions.
Hide F<->D and Improper<->Mixed fractions conversion function in Options menu.

Motivation

Fractions are frequently used by students in Algebra 1. (Textbook reviews).
Our heuristic evaluation indicates that the meaning of the "Unit" button on the TI-73 is not intuitive.
0 of 10 users could use a TI-83 to enter the whole number in a mixed fraction; they did not discover the use of the "Unit" button.
There are more buttons dedicated to fractions than necessary. Our task analysis indicates that tasks such as determining fractions to decimals and vice versa are not frequent tasks in Algebra 1.

Major Findings

8 of 10 users successfully completed the task without assistance. 2 of 10 users completed the task with assistance
9 of 10 students used the up/down arrow keys to move the cursor between the numerator and denominator. 1 student used the "b/c" button.
6 of 10 users suggested that complex fractions can be supported
see the task used for testing fractions

Past Iterations

This prototype had no iterations

Design Background

Fractions are frequently used so we wanted to maintain a fractions hard button ("b/c"). We removed the unintuitive "Unit" button and the seldom-used fraction-conversion buttons, so we had to support the same functionality with the use of a single button, "b/c", and the arrow keys. The arrow keys are relied upon because they are very intuitive buttons that users make use of quickly. The buttons for converting fractions into/from decimals and complex into/from improper fractions was moved into the Math menu. Hitting the Options button after getting an answer that is a fraction also brings up these choices so we feel that users can access these two buttons when they are most useful.

Detailed Design

1.		Press on the "b/c" button to insert a fraction "template".
2.		Enter the numerator. Pressing the down arrow key or the "b/c" button would place the cursor in the denominator.
3.		Enter values in the denominator. The cursors stays in the denominator unless the right arrow key is pressed.
4.		Pressing the right arrow key will take the cursor up from the denominator.
5.		Press on "+" or other operations.
6.		To enter a mixed fraction, the whole number is entered first.
7.		Pressing the "b/c" button following a whole number will bring up a fraction template, and treat the entire term as a mixed number.
8.		Enter the numerator, use the arrow key or the "b/c" key, and enter denominator.