Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Adapting Cell-Free Protein Synthesis As A Platform Technology For Education, Grace W. Chu, Max Z. Levine, Nicole E. Gregorio, Javin P. Oza

STAR Program Research Presentations

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) has emerged as an enabling biotechnology for research and biomanufacturing as it allows for the production of protein without the need for a living cell. Applications of CFPS include the construction of libraries for functional genomics and structural biology, the production of personalized medicine, and the expression of virus-like particles. The absence of a cell wall provides an open platform for direct manipulation of the reaction conditions and biological machinery. This project focuses on adapting the CFPS biotechnology to the classroom, making a hands-on bioengineering approach to learning protein synthesis accessible to students grades K-16 through …

Dual Perspectives On Desargues' Theorem, Carl Lienert

Geometry

No abstract provided.

Otto Holder's Formal Christening Of The Quotient Group Concept, Janet Heine Barnett

Abstract Algebra

No abstract provided.

English Learners And Mathematical Word Problem Solving: A Systematic Review, Virginia Clinton, Deni Lee Basaraba, Candace Walkington

Educational Foundations and Research Faculty Publications

Successful solution of mathematics word problems (MWPs) requires students to be able to understand the language of the MWP, which may be particularly challenging for English Learners (ELs). In this chapter, we review 21 empirical studies about specific linguistic features of MWPs, and the effects of modifying linguistic features on mathematics word problem-solving performance. Results of our review indicated that a variety of linguistic features has differential effects on the mathematics word problem-solving performance of ELs (compared to non-ELs), and that the effects vary by linguistic feature and grade level. Additionally, the effects of modifying the linguistic features of items …

Seeing And Understanding Data, Beverly Wood, Charlotte Bolch

Statistics and Probability

No abstract provided.

The Origin Of The Prime Number Theorem, Dominic Klyve

Number Theory

No abstract provided.

The Future Is Now Science Club, Shane Stan

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

The Future is Now! What will our planet look like in 10, 20, 50, or even 100 years? Where will we live, what will we eat, how will we travel? Believe it or not, in the coming decades, many ideas that were once science fiction will come through to realization. With this, many of the discoveries and technologies making all of this happen are being developed right now as we go about our daily lives.

In this club, appropriately titled, The Future Is Now Science Club, students will be inspired to think larger about the present world they live in. …

Stem Stories, October 2018, #1, Brooke Wiese

STEM Stories

Alumni Profile - Sarah Huebner

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 45, Fall 2018), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Metacognitive Training On Algebra Students’ Calibration Accuracy, Achievement, And Mathematical Literacy, Deana J. Ford

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation describes an empirical study that investigated how metacognitive training influenced lower achieving Algebra students’ calibration accuracy, achievement, and development of mathematics literacy. Multiple methods were used to collect and analyze the data. Close analysis of students’ work and classroom observations revealed that students that were exposed to the metacognitive training had significantly higher prediction accuracy and made gains in their understanding of the mathematics word problems than did students who did not receive the metacognitive training. Overall, however, both the intervention and comparison groups improved in their academic performance and became more mathematically literate and accurate in their …

Latent Class Analysis Of Children With Math Difficulties And/Or Math Learning Disabilities: Are There Cognitive Differences?, H. Lee Swanson, Andres F. Olide, Jennifer E. Kong

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This study investigated whether a latent class of children with math difficulties (MD) or math learning disabilities (MLD) emerged within a heterogeneous sample of learners. A latent class analysis was computed on children (N = 447) in Grade 3 who were administered a battery of math, reading, and cognitive measures. The analysis yielded four important findings. First, a discrete latent class of children with MD (15% of the sample) or MLD (10% of the sample) emerged when setting cut-off scores at or below the 25th and 11th percentile, respectively. Second, model testing yielded a high probability of finding children with …

A Better Way Of Farming, Stephanie Rains, Brooke A. Whitworth

Publications

No abstract provided.

The Logarithm Of -1, Dominic Klyve

Complex Variables

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Literacy And The Secondary Student, Adam Poyner

Senior Honors Theses

Public education is a continually evolving field, with new research, policies, and practices explored by professionals who are driven to provide America’s youth with high-quality education. Research literature since 2000 has highlighted the importance of disciplinary literacy and its unfortunate neglect in a majority of secondary classrooms (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008). Students who are literate in a particular discipline, such as math, view themselves as fluent in the language of mathematics, comfortable with reading, discussing, and practicing complex mathematical concepts while using appropriate vocabulary (Buehl, 2017). As seasoned professionals and novice educators consider the role of disciplinary literacy in their …

A Comparison Of Instructional Strategies: Does How You Teach Mathematics Matter?, Brian Comeaux

Senior Honors Theses

For most of the twentieth and all the twenty-first century, there has been a great debate over educational reform for teaching mathematics. From these debates have come a critical look at how to properly instruct students so they can actively learn in the classroom, yet still retain the information for use in their later life. These questions are rooted in the larger debate between philosophical and psychological dimensions of human growth and development. Some educators, therefore, believe structuring their instruction around some philosophies such as idealism, realism, pragmatism, or existentialism was the key to success for their students. Others took …

Solutions For Fermi Questions, October 2018: Question 1: Automobile Air Conditioning; Question 2: Falling Leaves, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

The article presents questions and answers related to topics including automobile air conditioning and falling leaves.

The Effect Of Family Engagement On Parents' Abilities To Help Their Children With Math, Kathleen A. Kalena

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if parents’ reported participation in specific math intervention strategies increased their abilities to help their children with math. The five math intervention strategies were Everyday Math Online Tools and Games, Star Math Reports/Home Connect from Renaissance Learning, HomeworkNOW, Study Island, and Family Math Nights. This research also served to examine if there was an association between parents’ participation in the five math intervention strategies and parents’ reported demographics. Parents of students in Grades 1 through 5 in a large, urban rim school district were surveyed. Survey respondents encompassed 694 parents. Descriptive statistics …

Question 1: Automobile Air Conditioning; Question 2: Falling Leaves, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the questions on physics regarding automobile air conditioning and calculating the number of leaves to fall in U.S.

How Design Features In Digital Math Games Support Learning And Mathematics Connections, Patricia S. Moyer-Packenham, Christina W. Lommatsch, Kristy Litster, Jill Ashby, Emma P. Bullock, Allison L. Roxburgh, Jessica F. Shumway, Emily Speed, Benjamin Covington, Christine Hartmann, Jody Clarke-Midura, Joel Skaria, Arla Westenskow, Beth L. Macdonald, Jurgen Symanzik, Kerry Jordan

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Current research shows that digital games can significantly enhance children’s learning. The purpose of this study was to examine how design features in 12 digital math games influenced children’s learning. The participants in this study were 193 children in Grades 2 through 6 (ages 8-12). During clinical interviews, children in the study completed pre-tests, interacted with digital math games, responded to questions about the digital math games, and completed post-tests. We recorded the interactions using two video perspectives that recorded children’s gameplay and responses to interviewers. We employed mixed methods to analyze the data and identify salient patterns in children’s …

Decision Making In The Sciences: Understanding Heuristic Use By Students In Problem Solving, Elizabeth Csikar

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of heuristics by students and gain insight into the thought process behind their problem-solving skills. The study used an adaptive narrative as the information delivery medium. An adaptive narrative was chosen because it could be designed to simulate decision making processes encountered in real world situations. Students enrolled in an introductory biology major class were chosen for the study because their fields of interest all require complex problem solving and decision-making skills. It was of interest to investigate what decisions were made when heuristics were given and how that may …

When Interviewing: How Many Is Enough?, William W. Cobern

Mallinson Institute Seminars

Researchers need to know what is an acceptable number for interview work How does one decide the acceptable number of people to interview? Or one might ask what is an acceptable N size for interview work?

Students' Perceptions Of Stem Learning After Participating In A Summer Informal Learning Experience, Thomas Roberts, Christa Jackson, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder, Sarah B. Bush, Cathrine Maiorca, Maureen Cavalcanti, D. Craig Schroeder, Ashley Delaney, Lydia Putnam, Chase Cremeans

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

Background: Informal learning environments increase students’ interest in STEM (e.g., Mohr‐Schroeder et al. School Sci Math 114: 291–301, 2014) and increase the chances a student will pursue a STEM career (Kitchen et al. Sci Educ 102: 529–547, 2018). The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an informal STEM summer learning experience on student participants, to gain in-depth perspectives about how they felt this experience prepared them for their in-school mathematics and science classes as well as how it influenced their perception of STEM learning. Students’ attitudes and perceptions toward STEM are affected by their motivation, experience, …

Using Graphic Organizers To Improve Science Outcomes, Deana Lynn Elwood

Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at the outcome of using graphic organizers to improve student outcomes in the content area of science for students with special needs in an inclusion class in a high school in New Jersey. In total, there were five participants in this study who were all eligible for special education services. Of the five students in the study, four are under the category Other Health Impaired, and one student is autistic. All participants were demonstrating grade level performance as determined by their baseline data collection.

The data from the study illustrated that all five of the participants demonstrated …

Taking Professional Development From 2d To 3d: Design-Based Learning, 2d Modeling, And 3d Fabrication For Authentic Standards-Aligned Lesson Plans, Darran R. Cairns, Reagan Curtis, Konstantinos A. Sierros, Johnna J. Bolyard

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

There is currently significant interest in 3D fabrication in middle school classrooms. At its best 3D printing can be utilized in authentic design projects that integrate math, science, and technology, which facilitate deep learning by students. In essence, students are able to tinker in a virtual world using 3D design software and then tinker in the real world using printed parts. We describe a professional development activity we designed to enable middle school teachers who had taken part in a three-year Math Science Partnership program to authentically integrate 3D printing into design-based lessons. We include some examples of successful design-based …

Exploring Problem-Based Learning For Middle School Design And Engineering Education In Digital Fabrication Laboratories, Monica M. Chan, Paulo Blikstein

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This is a research study of design and engineering classes that use a problem-based learning (PBL) approach in digital fabrication makerspaces in two middle schools. In these studies, teachers employ a PBL approach and provide an ill-structured problem scenario to facilitate design and engineering lessons in the FabLab (fabrication laboratory). Students in each school tackled different challenges that they defined for themselves in groups. This study provides examples of student-student interactions separated into key themes—defining specifications with teammates, personal exploration, and communication about discoveries. This study also provides examples of teacher-student interactions, and themes include demonstrations with tangible objects, discussing …

Stem Stories, September 2018, #2, Brooke Wiese

STEM Stories

Student Profile - Nicole Bishop

Pisa Australia In Focus Number 3: Motivation, Catherine Underwood

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has collected information about student motivation in each cycle, but the types of motivation focused on has varied over the cycles in line with the major domain (or the main focus) of the assessment for that cycle – reading, mathematical or scientific literacy. The focus of PISA 2015 is on science learning. It collected data about students’ achievement motivation in relation to science learning using their responses to the following five items measured on a four-point Likert scale (strongly agree; agree; disagree; and strongly disagree): I want top grades in most or all …

Stem Stories, September 2018, #1, Brooke Wiese

STEM Stories

Faculty Profile - Benjamin Forsyth

Thinking Maths: Learning Impact Fund Evaluation Report: Addendum To The Evaluation Report, Katherine Dix, Hilary Hollingsworth, Toby Carslake

Literacy and numeracy

Thinking Maths is a three-term structured professional learning program for Years 6 - 9 mathematics teachers to engage middle school students’ mathematics learning. The Thinking Maths program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education based on its Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. The program aims to address a significant drop in students’ mathematics performance in NAPLAN from Years 7 to Year 9. Thinking Maths supports teachers to improve students’ learning of mathematical content during the transition between Primary and Secondary school. Years 6 - 9 teachers participate in five professional learning days at 4 - 5 …

Thinking Maths: Learning Impact Fund Evaluation Report: Evaluation Report And Executive Summary, Katherine Dix, Hilary Hollingsworth, Toby Carslake

Literacy and numeracy

Thinking Maths is a three-term structured professional learning program for Years 6 - 9 mathematics teachers to engage middle school students’ mathematics learning. The Thinking Maths program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education based on its Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. The program aims to address a significant drop in students’ mathematics performance in NAPLAN from Years 7 to Year 9. Thinking Maths supports teachers to improve students’ learning of mathematical content during the transition between Primary and Secondary school. Years 6 - 9 teachers participate in five professional learning days at 4 - 5 …