Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Education

The Impact Of Content Courses On Pre-Service Elementary Teachers’ Mathematical Content Knowledge, Michael Matthews, Janice Rech, Neal Grandgenett Dec 2010

The Impact Of Content Courses On Pre-Service Elementary Teachers’ Mathematical Content Knowledge, Michael Matthews, Janice Rech, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

In response to research documenting the mathematical deficiencies of pre-service elementary teachers, many teacher preparation programs are requiring mathematical content courses specifically focusing on the mathematics taught at the elementary level. This study considers what impact two such courses (one course focusing on Arithmetic, and the other course focusing on Geometry and Measurement) had on the mathematical content knowledge and attitude towards mathematics by comparing a group of pre-service elementary teachers who took these courses to a group of pre-service elementary teachers who took only a more general mathematics course (such as College Algebra). Results indicated that those teachers who …


Pairing Educational Robotics With Geospatial Technologies In Informal Learning Environments, Bradley S. Barker, Neal Grandgenett, Gwen Nugent, Viacheslav I. Adamchuk Jul 2010

Pairing Educational Robotics With Geospatial Technologies In Informal Learning Environments, Bradley S. Barker, Neal Grandgenett, Gwen Nugent, Viacheslav I. Adamchuk

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Educational robotics, when paired with geospatial technologies and taught in an informal educational environment, can be an innovative strategy to teach youth about science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) concepts. However, little is known about the true effects on conceptual knowledge and associated attitudes. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the shortterm effects of a series of five-day summer robotics/geospatial camps held in Nebraska. The study was conducted at six diverse locations and consisted of a five-day 4-H camp experience. The study examined the experiences of 147 youth between the ages of 10 and 15. A pretestposttest quasi-experimental design …


Robots, Gps/Gis, And Programming Technologies: The Power Of "Digital Manipulatives" In Youth Extension Experiences, Bradley S. Barker, Neal Grandgenett, Gwen Nugent, Viacheslav I. Adamchuk Feb 2010

Robots, Gps/Gis, And Programming Technologies: The Power Of "Digital Manipulatives" In Youth Extension Experiences, Bradley S. Barker, Neal Grandgenett, Gwen Nugent, Viacheslav I. Adamchuk

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The study reported here examined the effectiveness of educational robotics combined with GPS/GIS technologies used as "digital manipulatives" in the teaching of concepts in science, engineering, and technology. Based on the success of previous summer camps, the study also examined a scaling-up of the intervention from 38 participants to 147. The 147 youth (ages 10-15) participated in one of six summer camps held in Nebraska during 2008. Results indicate that participants scored higher on the content posttest than the pretest. The study further examined the differential results. The article makes recommendations for further studies, while acknowledging the potential power of …


The Effects Of Folding-In Of Basic Mathematics Facts For Students With Disabilities, Tamara D. Bertini, Dara Coffrey, Kristine D. Swain Jan 2010

The Effects Of Folding-In Of Basic Mathematics Facts For Students With Disabilities, Tamara D. Bertini, Dara Coffrey, Kristine D. Swain

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Research in the area of elementary mathematics has been limited in recent years. Direct instruction methods, including drill tasks, have been recommended for elementary students who have mathematics difficulties. This project involves two studies that examined the effectiveness of a specific direct instruction intervention, Folding-In, on the math computation achievement of elementary students. Weekly Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) progress monitoring data, as well as achievement test data, were used to monitor the effectiveness of the intervention, with improvements noted in math fact fluency in both a university-based clinical tutoring and a classroom intervention setting.