Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Message From The President / 10.6.21, Evan M. Glazer

Message from the President

No abstract provided.

Human-Computer Interaction Research And Education--Crossing Boundaries Between Academic Research And Industry Practices, Yasushi Akiyama

Interface: The C3 Lab Knowledge Commons

In this paper, I will discuss my own experience and approaches to enhancing students' learning in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) classes by adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates academic research and industry practice. Due to the inherent interdisciplinarity of HCI, and to foster a set of "soft" skills known in Interdisciplinary Studies as the "cognitive toolkit," I invite expertise from the other departments at my university as well as industry professionals to give lectures, facilitate workshops, and oversee projects. These collaborations have produced several insights and have had a positive impact on the participants.

Stem Through Authentic Research And Training Program (Start) For Underrepresented Communities: Adapting To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Luke H. Bradley, Brittany N. Derr, Catherine E. Durbin, Michael J. Lauer, Fara Williams, Anthony P. Sinai, Julie A. Bradley, Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

The STEM Through Authentic Research and Training (START) Program is a new program integrating academic, social, and professional experiences, in the theme of exomedicine, to build a pipeline into college for first generation and traditionally underrepresented students by providing year-round authentic opportunities and professional development for high school students and teachers. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the START Program has worked with the local Fayette County public school and community partners to provide content to over 300 students through: virtual laboratory tours with community partner Space Tango, "meet a scientist" discussions, and online near-peer student demonstrations aimed at making …

How Mathematicians Assign Homework Problems In Abstract Algebra Courses, Rachel Rupnow, Meredith Hegg, Timothy Fukawa-Connelly, Estrella Johnson, Keith Weber

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

While many aspects of the teaching and learning of advanced mathematics have been explored, the role, construction, and values of homework have been virtually ignored. This report draws on task-based interviews with six mathematicians to explore the relationship between an instructor’s learning goals and factors considered when selecting homework problems. All participants viewed homework as critical to student learning, and the majority of the participants’ claims focused on either the mathematics or how the problem would help students learn; no instructor gave primacy to evaluative reasons for homework. We highlight six themes used by participants to evaluate and select items …

Transforming Technology & Engineering Educator Inputs Into Desired Student Outputs Through Mechanism Analysis And Synthesis, Andrew J. Hughes, Chris Merrill

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

The intention of this article is to provide middle and high school Technology and Engineering Educators (T&EEs) with a more thorough understanding of an engineering approach to the teaching and learning of mechanics. During the teaching and learning of engineering content, in this case mechanics, the educator should attempt to align pedagogical content knowledge with engineering content knowledge and practices. T&EEs will also need to focus on terminology, structure, and applying theory to practical hands-on learning activities inside and outside of the classroom. T&EEs have the potential to foster middle and high school students’ mechanical knowledge and the ability to …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 51, Fall 2021), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman, Editor, Erika Solberg, Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Imsa Core Competencies: Micro-Credentials For Teacher Development, Angela Rowley

Publications & Research

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy has created a system of micro-credentials for K-12 teachers to promote best practices in STEM education and to promote IMSA’s core competencies of inquiry-based, problem-centered, competency-driven, and Integrated STEM teaching and learning. In this session, these competencies will be demonstrated as effective pedagogy to differentiate for more advanced learners within the same classroom as other students or can be used independently with groups of gifted students to promote deep thinking and provide challenge.

Imsa Lunch And Learn “Only Time Will Tell”, Angela Rowley, Gwen Seeley-Joosse

Publications & Research

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Research In A Fully Online Engineering Program: Building The Framework Of Support, Emily Faulconer, Robert Deters, Brent Terwilliger

Publications

Undergraduate engineering programs often face low persistence and retention.

• Females and ethnic minorities are underrepresented and show lower persistence
• Certain minorities may be less likely to enroll in online programs
• Lower persistence and retention in online students across disciplines

Undergraduate research may increase persistence and retention.

• Online students likely underrepresented due to access limitations

Supporting And Retaining Early Career Mathematics Teachers Using An Online Community Of Practice, Paula Jakopovic, Travis Weiland, Maria Campitelli, Lorraine Males, Lisa Amick

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

This study reports on efforts over several years to design and implement a yearlong intervention intended to support secondary mathematics teachers in their early years of teaching. The intervention is designed to retain early career mathematics teachers in the professions by engaging them in the development of meaningful professional relationships with a school-based mentors, and by creating an online community of practice for support with other professionals. The intervention itself consists of early career teachers and their mentors participating in monthly professional learning activities such as online meetings, videoconferencing panels with experts, and collaborative reading and discussing timely, purposeful, and …

Peer Leading Small Group Discussion During Covid-19, A. E. Dreyfuss, Ana Fraiman, Milka O. Montes, Reagan Hudson, Fernando Montalvillo Ortega, Jonathan Muniz, Franziska Piefke, Mikayla Rodriguez, Meinar Sheila, Keyshla Vargas, Nicky Vu

Publications and Research

Peer-led workshops in General Chemistry at the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) were affected by COVID-19 restrictions during the 2020-2021 academic year. Most Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) workshops were conducted in person, but with the difference that protocols of distancing had to be observed, and a few were conducted online, so adjustments were necessary to prepare Peer Leaders to conduct their workshops in both types of settings. The facets of the modified PLTL program were supported by the online preparation for facilitation and chemistry content.

The results of an examination of critical incidents are shared here. This qualitative examination …

Reinvigorating A Technical Countering Weapons Of Mass Destruction Distance Learning Graduate Certificate Program, James C. Petrosky, Gaiven Varshney, Jeremy Slagley, Sara Shaghaghi

Faculty Publications

Current Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) demands can be divided broadly into policy and science. The science of chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear weapons informs the limits of development, production, employment, operation, detection, risk characterization, human and material protection, and medical intervention. In short, the science of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) should precede and inform the development of policy. It is to this end that the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) CWMD program was re-established, providing a technical educational option for practitioners to understand the science behind a very technically challenging subject.

Conjunctional Concepts: The Conceptual Teaching Technique In Biology Classes, Igor V. Zaitsev

Publications and Research

Conceptual teaching relies on concepts in conjunction with a bigger conceptual category (or categories). Revealing and using conceptual conjunctions in the science classroom means teaching conceptually. To make conceptual teaching more accessible to biology instructors, a three-concept model was described to be used during a lecture. This model has allowed the author to develop a relatively simple method that starts with an active concept or concepts, then introduces conjunctional and supporting concepts to relate the content to other concepts and relevant real-world applications. This method is intended to help instructors in preparing to teach biological concepts conceptually, in order to …

Identifying Sources Of Anxiety In An Introductory Online Undergraduate Chemistry Course, Emily Faulconer, John C. Griffith

Publications

Learning chemistry in an online environment may have multiple sources of anxiety for students, including chemistry anxiety, math anxiety, computer anxiety, and trait anxiety (personality attribute of proneness to experience anxiety). While previous research has explored relationships between math and chemistry anxiety in a traditional setting, no studies have explored these anxieties in the online modality. Survey data were collected using existing scales (some with minor modifications), with a response rate of 31%. The scales used in this study demonstrated strong reliability. Highest sources of anxiety for each scale were presented. The perceived ease of use scale score was used …

Message From The President / 9.22.21, Evan M. Glazer

Message from the President

No abstract provided.

Making Scientific And Technical Materials Pervasively Accessible, Jason J.G. White

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

In this paper, the question is explored of what policies, standards and practices are desirable to ensure that hardware, software and publications in the sciences and associated disciplines are created from the outset to be accessible to people with disabilities. Insight into this question can be obtained by considering the unique accessibility challenges that these materials pose, including complexities of notation, language, and graphical representation.

Having analyzed what sets this problem apart from broader issues of accessibility, the advantages and limitations of current international standards are reviewed, and contemporary developments in standards and policies are considered from a strategic perspective. …

The Perceptions Of Teachers Of Students With Visual Impairments On Students With Visual Impairments And Graphing: How To Teach, Ashley N. Nashleanas Ph.D.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Many gaps exist in what is known around teaching students with visual impairments (SVI) about how to use graphs (Rosenblum et al., 2018; Rosenblum & Herzberg, 2015; Zebehazy & Wilton, 2014a;2014b;2014c). When teachers first experience a student with a visual impairment, some of the questions that come to mind are: How can I be sure this student understands what I am saying about these graphs I show on the board? Will this student be able to keep up? The study herein, based on findings from Author (2018), serves as a guide for teachers to consider in the case that SVI …

Build Your Own Body Mod: Empowerment Through Prototyping And Design, Anaiss Arreola, Katherine R. Ganim

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

When you don’t have a hand, what could you have instead? This article introduces the impact of inviting youth with disabilities to learn tools and technology to design their own solutions and advocate for their own future. This approach to programming is rooted in a mindset of designing WITH, not FOR. Not only are design outcomes improved when users are incorporated into the process, but this approach has been shown to improve confidence in creating one’s own solutions. These programs include hands-on “design-your-own-body-mod” workshops, as well as a budding inclusive design consultancy led by youth with disabilities. Through this programming, …

On The Socialization Of Transfer Physics Majors Enrolled Within Upper-Division Physics Courses At Transfer Receiving Institutions: Qualitative Research, Patrick Lee Chestnut

Theses and Dissertations

A host of individual and institutional sociocultural factors mediate transfer physics students' socialization experiences at 4-year transfer receiving institutions. The purpose of this study is to understand how sociocultural factors mediate transfer physics students' socialization while participating in upper-division physics coursework at a 4-year public transfer-receiving university. This study, rooted in sociocultural constructivism, aimed to shape discussion of seven transfer physics students, six regular admit physics students, and a physics course instructor's experiences connected to physics studies that emerged from qualitative data. These data included student and faculty surveys, interviews, and classroom observations. Several key findings emerged. First, a multitude …

Teachers’ Engagement And Self-Efficacy In A Pk–12 Computer Science Teacher Virtual Community Of Practice, Robert Schwarzhaupt, Feng Liu, Joseph Wilson, Fanny Lee, Melissa Rasberry

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Prekindergarten to 12th-grade teachers of computer science (CS) face many challenges, including isolation, limited CS professional development resources, and low levels of CS teaching self-efficacy that could be mitigated through communities of practice (CoPs). This study used survey data from 420 PK–12 CS teacher members of a virtual CoP, CS for All Teachers, to examine the needs of these teachers and how CS teaching self-efficacy, community engagement, and sharing behaviors vary by teachers’ instructional experiences and school levels taught. Results show that CS teachers primarily join the CoP to gain high-quality pedagogical, assessment, and instructional resources. The study also found …

Message From The President / 9.8.21, Evan M. Glazer

Message from the President

No abstract provided.

Scope Process: Fostering Students' Design Outcome Effectiveness, Andrew J. Hughes, Cameron D. Denson

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to help Technology and Engineering Educators scaffold engineering design and problem-solving experiences so that students taking technology and engineering courses will develop an improved ability to design. Technology and Engineering Education seems to increasingly focus on problem-solving, design, and engineering. Technology and Engineering Education is not the only discipline with this focus. The fact that both Science and Technology and Engineering Education are similarly focused on the teaching and learning of engineering begs the question of what separates technology and engineering educators from science educators in the teaching of engineering? Lewis (2004) cautioned that …

Mechanism Design And Analysis: Developing An Understanding Of Mechanism Motion Through Graphical Modeling, Andrew J. Hughes, Chris Merrill

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

The intention of this article is to provide Technology and Engineering Educators with foundational knowledge of mechanism design and analysis and the ability to develop middle and high school students' mechanism knowledge during practical hands-on learning activities in the STEM classroom. Technology and Engineering Educators' implementation of mechanism design and analysis could promote students' increased depth of mechanical knowledge and ability to apply this knowledge during engineering design challenges. In this article, the authors present an introduction to four-bar mechanism design and analysis using CAD software to produce graphical representations. After designing mechanisms graphical, students should be allowed to produce …

No Bones About Art, Lydia Lytal, Brooke A. Whitworth, Gail Morton

Publications

No abstract provided.

Message From The President / 9.1.21, Evan M. Glazer

Message from the President

No abstract provided.

Tech & Toys To Teach Linear Algebra, Kelly W. Remijan

Publications & Research

6th - 12 Grade Math teachers will Discover activities involving tech and/or toys:

1. CNC Machines- graphing points & line segments
2. Desmos/GeoGebra & flags- graphing linear equations/inequalities w/ domain/range
3. CBR & movement- graphing/analyzing lines
4. Push toys- systems of equations
5. Water growing toys- growth rate
6. Ziplines, Balloons, Barbie, & Lego People - slope & linear equations

Curriculum And Assessment For Secondary Schools, Despina Stylianou

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Student Perceptions Of Authoring A Publication Stemming From A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure), Ashley N. Turner, Anil K. Challa, Katelyn M. Cooper

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage students in authentic research experiences in a course format and can sometimes result in the publication of that research. However, little is known about student-author perceptions of CURE publications. In this study, we examined how students perceive they benefit from authoring a CURE publication and what they believe is required for authorship of a manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal. All 16 students who were enrolled in a molecular genetics CURE during their first year of college participated in semistructured interviews during their fourth year. At the time of the interviews, students had been authors …

Mapping A Language(S) Journey In Science; From Learning Biology To Teaching Biology: An Autoethnography, Primani S. Fernando, Maria Gindidis Dr, Rebecca Cooper Dr.

The Qualitative Report

This paper focuses on my experience as an English as an Additional Language (EAL) student in the context of multiple emigrations and investigates the formation of my identity as an EAL science student, science Education researcher, and science teacher. The study was guided by both my innate curiosity and the research question that sought to explore which factors significantly affected my journey of developing my English language and science knowledge based on my experience as an EAL student. The second and third authors acted as critical friends to provide a layer of reliability to the study. Within the autoethnography methodology …

Message From The President / 8.25.21, Evan M. Glazer

Message from the President

No abstract provided.