Education Commons^™

Developing A Contextualization Of Students’ Mathematical Problem Solving, Sean P. Yee, Jonathan Bostic

School of Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This paper investigates how students contextualize mathematical problem solving, not the actual problems. When students attempt to solve problems, what contexts (situational, cultural, or conceptual) do they evoke to describe their experiences with problem solving? The Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice emphasize contextualizing and decontextualizing problems, but what does this mean in practice? Middle and high school students were asked to attempt ability-appropriate problems during semi-structured interviews in this qualitative study. Situational contexts were analyzed using representation analysis (symbolic and nonsymbolic) while cultural contexts were analyzed using linguistic analysis (metaphors). The synergy of these two analyses developed a …

Gamification Techniques For Academic Assessment, Jerry C. Schnepp, Christian Rogers

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Students from the millennial generation have come to expect highly developed and engaging academic tools - including those used to assess their performance. Keeping up with these expectations can be a daunting task for educators. However, the creative use of gamification, customization and on-demand supplemental material can potentially lead to a more engaging assessment experience. This presentation will focus on the topic of gamification and the millennial generation. The audience will participate in an open dialogue about how gaming and other engaging approaches can play a role in the summative assessment process.

Role-Playing The Standards For Mathematical Practice: A Professional Development Tool, Jonathan Bostic, Gabriel T. Matney

School of Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This article describes a performance assessment to use during Common Core-focused professional development and shares insights from research using this assessment regarding about teachers’ comprehension of the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs). We asked 46 teachers from grades K-10 to read and make sense of the SMPs and then role-play a classroom scenario indicative of one SMP. This performance task is called Unpacking the SMPs. Teachers’ interactions during the role-play activity were intended to help them interpret the SMPs. From this role-play activity, PD providers were more aware of teachers’ initial comprehension of the SMPs.

Validating The Psm6, Jonathan Bostic, Toni Sondergeld

School of Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Objective for the presentation is to share results from a validation study examining a sixth-grade problem-solving measure.

Students Perceptions Of An Alternative Testing Method: Hints As An Option For Exam Questions, Christian Rogers, Jerry Schnepp

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

In the Proceedings of the 2014 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition. Indianapolis, Indiana, June 15 – 18, 2014.

Automated Hints On Quizzes: An Approach To Combined Learning And Evaluation, Jerry Schnepp, Christian Rogers

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This paper describes and evaluates an approach to student assessment using Point Barter, an online quiz system that allows students to sacrifice partial credit in exchange for hints about the correct answer.

In the Proceedings of the 2014 International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association Conference. Anchorage, Alaska, May 31 to June 2, 2014.

Know Your Role: Black College Students, Racial Identity, And Performance, Dafina-Lazarus Stewart

Higher Education and Student Affairs Faculty Publications

This article is a report of a critical constructivist study of racial identity and performance among 13 Black, traditional-age students enrolled at three different colleges, two historically Black and one predominantly White. The study’s approach understood identity to be socially constructed and reliant upon community affirmation and validation. The findings highlight (1) the role of internal community pressure, (2) the ways in which racial performance dominated the students’ discussions of their racial identities, and (3) the intersection of internalized racism and sexism. The overarching conclusion points to the need for promoting acceptance of racial heterogeneity within communities of Black young …

Understanding The First Year Experience: An Avenue To Explore Trends In Higher Education (Keynote), Colleen Boff

University Libraries Faculty Publications

Regular examination of the issues and research related to the First Year Experience (FYE) is a priority for most administrators in higher education. A great deal of time, energy, funding and research are funneled into programs for first year students as a means to recruit and retain students in an increasingly tight market. As a consequence, there is much librarians can learn from the examination of these efforts made nationwide. Whether a librarian works exclusively with first year students, upper division students, graduate students or behind the scenes in technical services, paying attention to FYE developments is critical to speaking …

Spaces For Children's Development Of Structure, Pattern, And Repeated Reasoning, Gabriel T. Matney, Jonathan Bostic

School of Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Our goal is to explore the difference of these two SMPs through a task designed for learners of differing abilities and connect the SMP and the mathematics content exhibited through the task engagement.

Looking For Elementary Mathematics Teachers’ Common Core-Focused Instruction, Jonathan Bostic, Gabriel T. Matney

School of Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This manuscript describes six elementary teachers’ instructional changes through the lens of the Standards for Mathematical Practices (SMPs). Teachers were randomly selected from a larger sample of K-5 teachers who engaged in yearlong professional development targeting the SMPs. Videos of their pre- and post-professional development programs were examined using a SMPs-focused protocol. They overwhelmingly provided more opportunities for students to engage in the SMPs after the professional development experience. We connect this impression with ways to effectively foster elementary teachers’ SMP-focused instructional practices through professional development.

Supporting K-10 Teachers' Instructional Changes To Promote The Standards For Mathematical Practice, Gabriel T. Matney, Jonathan Bostic

School of Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This manuscript describes two cohorts of teachers’ instructional changes through the lens of the Standards for Mathematical Practices (SMPs). These teachers participated in a yearlong professional development program targeting the SMPs. Videos of their pre- and postprofessional development programs were examined using a SMPs-focused protocol. They offered more opportunities for students to engage in the SMPs after the professional development experience than before the professional development. We connect this impression with ways to effectively foster elementary, middle, and secondary teachers’ SMP-focused instructional practices through professional development.

Social Media For Informal Science Learning In China: A Case Study, Ke Zhang, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This article reports a case study on a popular informal science learning community via social media in China, named GuoKr (meaning “nutshell” in English). Data were collected through a variety of Chinese social media and social networking sites, web-based community portals, and discussion boards. Content analyses and data mining were conducted to investigate how GuoKr successfully attracted and engaged public in informal learning on scientific topics in particular. The study found three key characteristics that contributed to the success of such learning communities: (a) utilizing a variety of social media to empower participants with just-in-time, accidental learning opportunities; (b) daily …

Exploring The Use Of Discussion Strategies And Labels In Asynchronous Online Discussion, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Drawing on research in both constrained online discussion environments and strategy instruction, this approach combines explicit instruction on discussion strategies with the use of post type labels. In a trial of this approach in an online course, students actively used the discussion strategies and post type labels in their discussion. Analysis of student posts and survey responses suggested that students in the experimental group used discussion strategies more frequently after the intervention as compared to the control group and perceived that this approach positively impacted their discussions. In addition, there is a certain degree of improvement in the quality of …

Development Of Professional Identity Through Socialization In Graduate School, Debora L. Liddell, Maureen E. Wilson, Kira Pasquesi, Amy S. Hirschy, Kathleen M. Boyle

Higher Education and Student Affairs Faculty Publications

Professional identity is one outcome of successful socialization. The purpose of this study was to understand how socialization in graduate programs contributes to the development of professional identity for new professionals in student affairs. Via survey, we found significant relationships between program qualities, standards, activities, and experiences and measures of professional identity. Out-of-class experiences were perceived to have a strong influence than in-class experiences. Implications for graduate preparation programs and supervisors are discussed.

Promoting Freedom Through Problem-Based Learning, Jonathan Bostic, Brooks Vostal, Brady Ruffer

School of Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional tool for encouraging active thinking about realistic problems and making sense of them through multiple content-focused lenses. It also has the power to bring faculty together in support of academic and social goals for students. Using a case-study approach, we share the story of a rural school district’s faculty and administrators who decided to implement a school-wide, week-long PBL activity. We focus on the social studies component of the PBL activity, describing the initial decisions teachers made to create this project, the planning teachers completed throughout the semester leading up to it, and students’ …

Deepening Teachers’ Understandings Of Mathematical And Pedagogical Connectedness, Gabriel T. Matney

School of Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

In this paper, I will describe the findings and perspectives of one group of teachers who recently completed the Walk-Across task and share my views on the implications of these findings for those who lead professional developments focused on the CCSSM.