Education Commons^™

Empowering Your Staff To Solve Problems: Evidence-Based Training For Strategic Thinking, Rebecca B. French, Jennifer A. Keach

Rebecca B. French

Are you teaching procedures or are you teaching problem solving? Discover an approach to help develop your staff’s strategic thinking skills to meet the needs of the 21st-century library workplace. Explore how to apply learning theory and walk away with actionable steps for training independent problem solving.

Assessing Computational Thinking, Daniel Duckworth

Daniel Duckworth

This paper provides some context for the role of computation thinking (CT) in the Australian Curriculum, an abridged literature review of CT as a problem-solving framework from the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2018 assessment framework and some examples of how CT has been used to solve real-world problems. Finally, this paper presents ways to teach and assess CT.

Technology Pedagogy And Content In Web-Based Language Instruction For Secondary Vocational Students, Eleni Papantoniou, Thanasis Hadzilacos

Eleni Papantoniou

Students in vocational schools in Greece are less motivated and have low performance in courses demanding academic skills, like language learning with reading and writing tasks (e.g. essay writing). If they were asked, they would say that they prefer to do things rather than study or get involved in traditional classroom language activities. School cannot provide them with language materials and methodology adjusted to their needs. Language teaching and learning is an academic task-oriented subject and teachers find it extremely difficult to arise their students' interest. So, from this point of view there is a gap between need and supply. …

Factors That Influence The Difficulty Of Problem Solving Items, Dara Ramalingam, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

Computer-based assessment of problem solving allows problems of both static and interactive natures to be posed. Examples of static problems are scheduling and logic puzzles in which all relevant information is available to the solver at the outset. Problems of an interactive nature, on the other hand, require exploration of the situation to acquire additional knowledge needed to solve the problem. Examples include discovering how to use an unfamiliar mobile telephone or automatic vending machine. This study used data from the 2011 Field Trial of the PISA 2012 computer-based assessment of problem solving which comprised 34 static and 45 interactive …

Fostering Innovation : The Role Of The School Principal, Kathryn Moyle

Professor Kathryn Moyle (consultant)

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Learning Assessments, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Processes for assessing student learning are undergoing fundamental transformation, according to Geoff Masters.

Developing Transfer Skills In A Biochemistry Class, Jeong V. Choe

Jeong Choe

Students seem to struggle with transferring prior knowledge if the new problem they are given is in a different form from the way they learned the material. The process of transfer can be identified by four components: 1) recognizing the similarity between the old and new contexts; 2) identifying the potential of a certain skill or concept that has worked in the past, to give solutions to new problematic situations; 3) mental testing of the application of the potential solution; and 4) an attempt to apply the skill or concept to a new context (Georghiades 2000). These four components are …

The Returns On Investing In Lln In The Workplace, Phil Mckenzie, Justin Brown, Michael Taylor

Dr Phillip McKenzie

No abstract provided.

The Returns On Investing In Lln In The Workplace, Justin Brown, Phil Mckenzie, Michael Taylor

Dr Justin Brown

No abstract provided.

Revisiting Fibonacci And Related Sequences, Arthur Benjamin, Jennifer Quinn

Jennifer J. Quinn

This issue focuses on proving several interesting facts about the Fibonacci Sequence using a combinatorial proof. The aim of Delving Deeper is for teachers to pose and solve novel math problems, expand on mathematical connections, or offer new insights into familiar math concepts. Delving Deeper focuses on mathematics content appealing to secondary school teachers. It provides a forum that allows classroom teachers to share their mathematics from their work with students, their classroom investigations and products, and their other experiences. Delving Deeper is a regular department of Mathematics Teacher.

Solving Problems Paradoxically And Creatively, Salma A. Hadeed

salma a hadeed

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Temporal Speech And Text Cueing In Educational Multimedia, Christopher Newhouse, Jeremy Pagram, Alistair Campbell, Bruce Mann, H Schultz

Alistair Campbell PhD

This research focused on the prediction that children in their school setting would learn more from educational multimedia when critical information was presented as spoken instead of textual cues. Analyses of a study (n = 42) showed that 12-year-olds did not learn any more from temporal speech cueing than from temporal text cueing. The findings suggest that multimedia learning for children is a different kind of learning experience than for adults or older adolescents. The results indicate underdeveloped executive control of the referential connections in the children's working memory between reading screen text while listening to spoken cues, and between …

Automatic Scoring Of Items In Pisa 2012 Problem Solving, Ray Philpot

Ray Philpot

The OECD PISA 2012 Problem Solving assessment was delivered on-line and exploited the capabilities of the computer by including many problems where students were required to interact with a virtual scenario. The actions taken by students – clicking buttons, dragging objects etc – were recorded in log files during testing. For many items these logs were used to automatically score the item. In some cases the strategy exhibited by the students as they tackled a problem contributed to the scoring, in addition to whether they managed to solve the problem. In this paper I give an overview of the PISA …

Inferring Impulsive-Analytic Disposition From Students’ Actions In Solving Math Problems, Kien Lim, Miguel Mendoza

Kien H Lim

The research reported in this paper is part of a larger study designed to investigate the validity of the Likelihood-to-Act (LtA) survey—an Likert-scale instrument, currently under development and testing, for assessing students’ impulsive-analytic disposition in mathematics. Transcripts and videos of 15 interviewees’ responses to five problems, adapted from the LtA Survey, were analyzed in terms of (a) solution strategies and (b) impulsive-analytic disposition. Two scores were derived from quantifying the codes that were assigned to the 75 problem-solving episodes. These scores were highly correlated to one another and were correlated to the LtA_Difference (impulsive minus analytic) score, obtained from the …

Down The Rabbit Hole: A Look At Integrating Classic Literature Into A Secondary Mathematics Curriculum, Adam E. Sokol

Adam E Sokol

The importance of mathematics and reading is paramount to the advancement of civilization. Research has shown that mathematics and reading, along with writing, have a strong correlation. The new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in mathematics stress the importance of applying mathematical concepts to other subjects and real life. Interestingly, the mathematics and English curriculums have some objectives in common. Classic literature provides a unique context for mathematical concepts to be applied. Using classic literature to teach mathematics could allow students to engage in mathematics and literature more deeply. Example lessons and worksheets supported by research allow teachers to another …

Predicting Adolescents’ Future Intentions To Seek Help For Mental Health Problems., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

This study examined whether high school students’ current symptoms of general psychological distress, self-rated social problem-solving skills, and recent help-seeking experiences predict their future intentions to seek help for a mental health problem. At Time 1, 98 high school students, aged 12-17 years, completed the study self-report survey that included measures of psychological distress, social problem-solving skill, and recent help-seeking behaviour. At Time 2, three weeks later, the same students completed measures of help-seeking intentions. Students with more severe levels of distress symptoms at Time 1 had lower intentions to seek help for a mental health problem at Time 2. …

Predicting Adolescents’ Future Intentions To Seek Help For Mental Health Problems., Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

This study examined whether high school students’ current symptoms of general psychological distress, self-rated social problem-solving skills, and recent help-seeking experiences predict their future intentions to seek help for a mental health problem. At Time 1, 98 high school students, aged 12-17 years, completed the study self-report survey that included measures of psychological distress, social problem-solving skill, and recent help-seeking behaviour. At Time 2, three weeks later, the same students completed measures of help-seeking intentions. Students with more severe levels of distress symptoms at Time 1 had lower intentions to seek help for a mental health problem at Time 2. …

Addressing Impulsive Disposition: Using Non-Proportional Problems To Overcome Overgeneralization Of Proportionality, Kien Lim, Osvaldo Morera

Kien H Lim

Impulsive disposition is an undesirable way of thinking where one spontaneously applies the first idea that comes to mind without checking its relevance. In this research, we explore (a) the possibility of helping pre-service teachers improve their disposition, from being impulsive to being analytic, in one semester, and (b) the effect of using non-proportional situations. This study involves two sections of a mathematics course for pre-service teachers for Grades 4-8. The lessons were designed whenever possible to elicit students’ impulsive disposition so that they could become cognizant of it and make conscious attempts to overcome it. Some test items were …

Highlighting The Similarities And Differences Of The Mathematical Knowledge And Strategies Of Year 4 Students, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

Research has shown that successful mathematics students use different types of strategies from those struggling with mathematics. Year 4 students were tested using the One Minute Tests of Basic Number Facts and a paper and pencil Number Screening Test developed by the author and colleagues. Observation of the students during the assessment procedures highlighted the vast difference in the students' speed and accuracy when recalling basic facts and the types of strategies they used when solving mathematical tasks. [Author abstract]

Mathematical Thinking Of Young Children Through The Eyes Of Preschool Practitioners, Robert Hunting, Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

This paper reports on interview responses to three questions seeking preschool practitioners' perceptions of mathematical thinking in very young children. Generally, the interviewees were found to have a good sense of mathematical concepts relevant to babies and toddlers, and they cited evidence of young children's mathematical development. It is concluded that this practical knowledge provides a strong foundation for further professional development. [Author abstract]

Pisa 2003—Mathematical Literacy And Learning In The Americas, John Dossey, Sharon Mccrone, Ross Turner, Mary Lindquist

Ross Turner

The Roles Of Modelling In Learning Mathematics, Malcolm Swann, Ross Turner, Caroline Yoon, E Muller

Ross Turner

All Is Happening, With Numeracy Included, Dave Tout

David (Dave) Tout

The Adult Literacy and Lifeskills (ALL) Survey (formerly known as the International Life Skills Survey (ILSS)) is a large-scale, comparative survey that goes beyond previous international literacy studies. In addition to the literacy skills measured in the previous International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), ALL is designed to identify and measure a broader range of skills in the adult population in each participating country. The skills to be directly measured are: prose and document literacy; numeracy; problem solving/analytical reasoning. In addition the assessment will be accompanied by a comprehensive Background Questionnaire, which will collect participant information and indirectly measure two other …

The Forthcoming Adult Literacy And Lifeskills (All) Survey, Dave Tout

David (Dave) Tout

The Adult Literacy and Lifeskills (ALL) Survey is a large scale, comparative survey that goes beyond previous international studies. The skills to be measured are prose and document literacy, numeracy, and problem solving/analytical reasoning. Two other skill domains will also be measured: teamwork, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy.

Megan: 'Seventeen Take Away Sixteen? That's Hard!', Catherine Pearn

Catherine Pearn

This paper focuses on results from testing for the Mathematics Intervention program. To determine whether students participating in the Grade 1 Intervention program maintained the progress made during the program, students were also tested when in Grade 3 or Grade 4. The main aim of this testing was to determine whether an intervention program at Grade 1 can assist students to develop flexibility in their mathematical thinking, enabling them to develop their own strategies and to be less reliant on rules and procedures. The assessment method used for the testing at both Grade 3 and Grade 4 and at the …