Education Commons^™

Determining The Difficulty And Discrimination Parameters Of A Mathematics Performance-Based Assessment, Abraham Gyamfi, Douglas G. Wren

Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty Publications

Performance-based assessment (PBA) is different from traditional testing methods in that PBA presents real-life problems for students to solve by integrating critical thinking with their content knowledge and skills. Implementing PBA regularly in mathematics classes is associated with improved student achievement and motivation to learn; however, there are concerns about the general lack of psychometric data to support the use of performance assessments. To address such concerns, this study applied item response theory to estimate the difficulty and discrimination indices of items that comprised a newly developed mathematics PBA. Data were collected by administering the PBA to 750 senior high …

Characteristics Of Critical Friendship That Transform Professional Identity, Signe E. Kastberg, Melva R. Grant

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

We met at CASTLE 2018, two trained mathematics teacher educators (MTEs), interested in mathematics, and teaching elementary mathematics methods to preservice teachers (PTs). Melva’s self-study research, focused on improving her online methods course, was approaching its second year and her second critical friend had lost interest in continuing. Melva invited Signe to be her critical friend (Schuck & Russell, 2005) and Signe agreed. Explicit expectations of our critical friendship included weekly meetings. Our critical friendship seemed to follow an expected trajectory for, “supporting/coaching the transformation of another’s teaching” (Stolle, et al., 2019, p. 20). However, there were implicit ways our …

Technologies To Enhance And Extend Children's Understanding Of Geometry: A Configurative Thematic Synthesis Of The Literature, Helen Crompton, Melva R. Grant, Khitam Y. H. Shraim

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Empirical evidence indicates that students are not learning geometry with relational understanding of the concepts. Studies have shown that digital technologies can support students in mathematics. The purpose of this study was to find which technologies and technological affordances are specific to learners of geometry. This paper presents the results of a configurative thematic synthesis of empirical studies and theoretical papers to show that dynamic geometry environments (DGEs: including 3D DGEs) and logobased environments were the main types of technologies used to support geometry learners. The results of this study also reveal that there are five main technological supports provided …

Research Trends In The Use Of Mobile Learning In Mathematics, Helen Crompton, Diane Burke

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The use of mobile learning in education is growing at an exponential rate. To best understand how mobile learning is being used, it is crucial to gain a collective understanding of the research that has taken place. This research was a systematic review of 36 studies in mobile learning in mathematics from the year 2000 onward. Eight new findings emerged: (1) The primary purpose of most studies was to focus on evaluating mobile learning. (2) Case studies and experimental design were the main research methods. (3) Most studies report positive learning outcomes; (4) Mobile phones were the mobile device used …

Give Me A Formula Not The Concept! Student Preference To Mathematical Problem Solving, Manveer Mann, Mary C. Enderson

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to assess student preference for procedural (formula-driven) versus conceptual (concept-driven) approaches to solve mathematical problems. Additionally, we evaluated differences in preferences among students who performed above average and those who performed at or below average on simple arithmetic problems.

Methods/Design and Sample: We used a single-factor (Instructional Approach: conceptual vs. procedural) between-subjects experiment. Instructional approach was manipulated using short embedded instructional videos. Students evaluated each approach on a five-point scale.

Results: We found that students (above-average and average/below-average) preferred the procedural approach to the conceptual approach. Interestingly, however, although students preferred …

Research Trends In The Use Of Mobile Learning In Mathematics, Helen Crompton, Diane Burke

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The use of mobile learning in education is growing at an exponential rate. To best understand how mobile learning is being used, it is crucial to gain a collective understanding of the research that has taken place. This research was a systematic review of 36 studies in mobile learning in mathematics from the year 2000 onward. Eight new findings emerged: (1) The primary purpose of most studies was to focus on evaluating mobile learning. (2) Case studies and experimental design were the main research methods. (3) Most studies report positive learning outcomes; (4) Mobile phones were the mobile device used …

Integrating Technology And Engineering In A Stem Context, Barry N. Burke, Philip A. Reed, John G. Wells, Robert E. Yager (Ed.), Herbert Brunkhorst (Ed.)

STEMPS Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Imagine students entering the classroom with an enthusiasm that cannot be contained. They come from all walks of life and with different experiences and backgrounds and are eager to engage in learning. Inspiration and innovation are on their mind. What they learned in their science and math classes is now being applied in another class they take called Technology and Engineering. Opportunity is what they see for their future. Something about connecting all the dots from all their classes propels them to change their outlook, to get involved, to get excited about school and to envision their future.

Mathematics In The Age Of Technology: There Is A Place For Technology In The Mathematics Classroom, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

In today’s world of ubiquitous computing there are a number of technologies available to K-12 educators for teaching and learning mathematics. However, Koehler and Mishra (2008) have described how teaching and learning with such technologies presents a “wicked problem,” as it can involve a number of variables, independent of each other and contextually bound, that need to be brought together. This article highlights the advantages technology offers for mathematics education and looks at some of the reasons behind the poor uptake, such as teacher beliefs and lack of training. A number of solutions are offered to address these issues, including …

Stem Initiatives: Stimulating Students To Improve Science And Mathematics Achievement, Robert Q. Berry Iii, Philip A. Reed, John M. Ritz, Cheng Y. Lin, Steve Hsiung, Wendy Frazier

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The article focuses on how concepts in science, technology education, and mathematics show powerful relationships when it comes to student learning. Learning theorists believe that, through designed learning environments (contexts) and learning with hands-on projects, new knowledge can not only be learned, but learned in such a way that the knowledge can be transferred for other applications. Scholars in the applied sciences (school science, technology, and mathematics) believe that these subjects have transfer among themselves and that engineering activities can establish the contexts to learn these subjects, plus aid in the transfer of knowledge. This collaborative movement is referred to …

Bioengineering Instructional Framework For Technology Education, Philip A. Reed, Technology Education Department, Old Dominion University, Virginia Bioengineering Writing Team

STEMPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.