EDUC 323 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Error Analysis Case Study Assignment 2025.docx

Error Analysis

Error Analysis Case Study Assignment (Wyatt and Dalton)

EDUC 323

Prof. Tencher

September 20, 2025

Dalton: Level A, Case 1

I decided to start by looking into Dalton's situation. Dalton is Twelve-year-old and is a

seventh-grader. His math teacher is Mrs. Moreno but she is worried with how he has been

doing. Mrs. Moreno thinks Dalton has great mathematical abilities and he typically performs

Error Analysis

how to correctly set up the problem while working with decimals is probably the root cause of

this error. Dalton aligns the final digits to set up the equation as though there were no decimal.

Dalton needs to align the decimals, not the final digits, in order to correctly set up this equation.

The solution will probably be wrong if the decimals are not aligned when answering the

problem. If two students were told to round to the closest ten, and one of them rounded up

while the other rounded down, it would also be an example of a procedural error. Another

example of this would be if a student was adding fractions and added the numerators and

denominators together instead of identifying a common denominator.

It is clear that Dalton was simply not connecting the decimals and the digits he was

because they were able to add up the numbers as they went – a small scaffold if you will (Brack,

2024). I think that she has great ideas when it comes to teaching decimals, this could positively

help students in the long run by implanting this into the lesson. Error pattern identification is

one way that I may include to deal with this error pattern. The goal of this approach is to

provide a chance to fix Dalton's mistakes. Dalton will have the opportunity to learn while being

properly corrected when the mistake is discussed with him. “My final tip is to have students

practice using graph paper (you can just print graph paper) to keep their work more organized.

My final final tip is to use X as a placeholder instead of 0 because that zero causes frequent

errors!” (Brack, 2024). This is another great way to help students especially Dalton who may not

just be grasping it as easily as others.

Error Analysis

Wyatt, also a twelve-year-old boy is struggling to understand how to multiply fractions as

well. His teacher Mr. Goldberg went over this lesson again for students who were quite not

In this case, Mr. Goldberg could solve an equation involving the multiplication of two

fractions with distinct denominators so that Wyatt could compare the stages of the

multiplication to the equation with like denominators. Once you have solved the equation

together, let Wyatt solve a few by himself. To check if Wyatt is understanding the concept of

multiplying fractions, Mr. Goldberg could next demonstrate to him how to multiply fractions

with the same denominators and compare the processes with what they use when solving

fractions with similar and different denominators. Finding the mistake patterns would be the

best course of action to assist Wyatt. This could assist him in identifying the mistakes he had

made while attempting to address particular challenges. Wyatt appears to be confusing the

procedures for adding and subtracting fractions with those for multiplying them. Wyatt would

gain by employing this tactic since he would be able to identify his errors and know how to fix

Using physical objects can make all the difference too, sometimes physically seeing

things and being able to pick them up and move them around can help in the long run. “Another

benefit of using pattern blocks is that, when we get ready to talk about a whole number divided

by a fraction, kids will already be familiar with the process and will actually be able to see how

multiplication and division of fractions goes together. It’s like the fact families of addition and

subtraction and how, when we teach the missing addend we see that addition and subtraction

Error Analysis

for students to grasp the work they are completing. Although some students just need to use

pencil and paper, other students need different visuals in order to understand how things are

That imprint could be you modeling under a document camera or my demo on a YouTube video.

Overall, it was interesting and informative to go over and understand Dalton's and

Wyatt's mathematic challenges. Finding the best methods to aid these students has sparked my

interest in being as encouraging and helpful as possible. Not every student can pick up each

subject as easily as others, by providing that extra help or method can make all the difference. I

think that it is so much more beneficial to look at an Error Analysis than ones lesson plans or

how students complete their work correctly and instead we are looking to help these students

as best as possible!

Error Analysis