Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Lectures On Mathematical Computing With Python, Jay Gopalakrishnan

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

This open resource is a collection of class activities for use in undergraduate courses aimed at teaching mathematical computing, and computational thinking in general, using the python programming language. It was developed for a second-year course (MTH 271) revamped for a new undergraduate program in data science at Portland State University. The activities are designed to guide students' use of python modules effectively for scientific computation, data analysis, and visualization.

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Guided Reinvention As A Context For Investigating Students' Thinking About Mathematical Language And For Supporting Students In Gaining Fluency, Kristen Vroom

Dissertations and Theses

Fluency with mathematical language is important for students' engagement in many disciplinary practices such as defining, conjecturing, and proving; yet, there is growing evidence that mathematical language is challenging for undergraduate students. This dissertation study draws on two design experiments with pairs of students who were supported to encode their mathematical meanings with more formal language. I aimed to investigate the teaching and learning of mathematical language, and particularly the language in statements with multiple quantifiers, by engaging students in this type of activity. In the first paper, I investigated the complex ways in which the students in my study …

Short- And Long-Term Impacts Of A Deliberative Pedagogy In Introductory Biology And Chemistry Courses, Liz Rain-Griffith

Dissertations and Theses

There have been multiple national calls for curricular reform in college-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including a need to instill democratic skills in students. Democratic skill building can be embedded in STEM classrooms through intentional "deliberative pedagogies" which include skills in: communication, collaboration, and application. We developed and implemented a deliberative pedagogy, Deliberative Democracy (DD), across introductory majors and non-majors biology courses and a majors chemistry course. In two separate studies, I took a longitudinal, qualitative research approach to understand introductory biology and chemistry students' experiences and perceptions of DD. For the first study, I tracked a cohort …

Exploring User Interface Improvements For Software Developers Who Are Blind, Guarionex J. Salivia, Flint D. Million, Megan E. Bening

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Software developers who are blind and interact with the computer non-visually face unique challenges with information retrieval. We explore the use of speech and Braille combined with software to provide an improved interface to aid with challenges associated with information retrieval. We motivate our design on common tasks performed by students in a software development course using a Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages (MIPS) architecture simulation tool. We test our interface via a single-subject longitudinal study, and we measure and show improvement in both the user’s performance and the user experience.

Tactviz: A Vmd Plugin For Tactile Visualization Of Protein Structures, Olivia R. Shaw, Jodi A. Hadden-Perilla

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Scientific disciplines spanning biology, biochemistry, and biophysics involve the study of proteins and their functions. Visualization of protein structures represents a barrier to education and research in these disciplines for students who are blind or visually impaired. Here, we present a software plugin for readily producing variable-height tactile graphics of proteins using the free biomolecular visualization software Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) and protein structure data that is publicly available through the Protein Data Bank. Our method also supports interactive tactile visualization of proteins with VMD on electronic refreshable tactile display devices. Employing our method in an academic laboratory has enabled …

Astrodance: Engaging Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Students In Astrophysics Via Multimedia Performances, Jason Nordhaus, Manuela Campanelli, Joe Bochner, Thomas Warfield, Hans-Peter Bischof, Jake Noel-Storr

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The dynamics of gravitating astrophysical systems such as black holes and neutron stars are fascinatingly complex, offer some of nature's most spectacular phenomena, and capture the public's imagination in ways that few subjects can. Here, we describe AstroDance, a multi-media project to engage deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students in astronomy and gravitational physics. AstroDance incorporates multiple means of representation of scientific concepts and was performed primarily for secondary and post-secondary audiences at ~20 venues in the northeastern US prior to the historic first detection of gravitational waves. As part of the AstroDance project, we surveyed ~1000 audience members roughly split …

Visualization Without Vision – How Blind And Visually Impaired Students And Researchers Engage With Molecular Structures, Croix J. Laconsay, Henry B. Wedler, Dean J. Tantillo

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This article examines the tools and techniques currently available that enable blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals to visualize three-dimensional objects used in learning chemistry concepts. How BVI individuals engage with and visualize molecular structure is discussed and recent tactile (or haptic) and auditory methods for visualization of various chemistry concepts are summarized. Remaining challenges for chemistry education researchers are described with the aim of highlighting the potential value of educational research in further enabling BVI students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Supplemental Online Learning Tools (Solts) To Support Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Students In Introductory Statistics Courses, Jacqueline Mcclive, Keith Mousley, Carol E. Marchetti, David Simkins, Gary Blatto-Vallee, Jane Jackson, Sue Foster

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Research in most Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines uses statistical methods. Thus as students develop into research scientists, introductory statistics serves as a gateway course. If students struggle to incorporate statistics into their knowledge base, they may be effectively kept from careers that rely on statistics. DHH students learn differently and thus may lag behind their hearing counterparts in mainstream classrooms. In part, a gap in language knowledge can impede the understanding of statistics topics. What is a variable? What does it mean to have a distribution? With sign language interpreters and other support services, many mainstream instructors …

Summer Camp Engineering: 7.24.20, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Center For Teaching And Learning

IMSA STEM Snack Boxes

No abstract provided.

Variability In The Effectiveness Of Psychological Interventions Based On Machine Learning In Stem Education, Mohammad Hasan, Bilal Khan

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

This manuscript presents a framework to investigate the variability in the effectiveness of psychological interventions supported by Machine Learning (ML) based early-warning systems (EWS) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. It emphasizes the importance of investigating the resulting variability and suggests that effective EWS cannot be designed without a deeper understanding of the variability. The framework uses an ML-based model to predict students’ academic performance early in the semester for a Sophomore-level Computer Science course at a public university in the United States. The students were given psychological interventions by sending their end-of-term performance forecast thrice during the semester. …

Pisa 2018: Financial Literacy In Australia, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Catherine Underwood, Marina Schmid

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 is the seventh cycle of PISA since it was first conducted in 2000 and measures students’ skills in the core areas of reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy. Since PISA 2012, financial literacy has been included as an additional optional assessment that accompanies the core assessments. In Australia, the financial literacy assessment is funded by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission. This report presents the results for the third assessment of financial literacy and focuses on the measurement of financial literacy for Australia as a whole and for different demographic groups, …

Summer Camp Field Trips: 7.17.20, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Center For Teaching And Learning

IMSA STEM Snack Boxes

No abstract provided.

Win/Win/Win:Academia And Public Libraries Working Together To Help Students, Faculty, And Librarians Promote Stem Learning And Research, Jessica Jones

2020 STEM Librarians South Conference

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Hypothesis Type On Scientific Literacy In Nonscience Majors, Sharon Schmidt, Leanne Davis, Danyelle N. Dehner-Aganovic, Margaret (Meg) Smith

Georgia Journal of Science

The University System of Georgia has undergone nine consolidations of institutions of higher education in the past seven years. One consequence of a consolidation is that faculty from historically different institutions are brought together to work in newly-created units, and this requires merging of ideas, particularly at the departmental level. In the Department of Biology of our own institution, this manifested as differences in the types of hypotheses taught in nonmajors classes in which scientific literacy is a learning outcome of high priority. Data can be useful for resolving such differences, but there was limited data on the effect of …

Measuring The Impact Of Cognitive Behavioral Coaching With Nonverbal Immediacy On The Self-Efficacy Of Undergraduate Students In Stem Courses, Christopher Miller, Melissa Joy Benton

Dissertations

A quasi-experimental study explored whether the practice of cognitive behavioral coaching with an intentional focus on nonverbal immediacy has an impact on the self-efficacy of undergraduate students taking college-level STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses. A positive impact to self-efficacy for students who receive the coaching intervention was anticipated. The research took place at a public research university located in the Midwest. Subjects included students who were required to work with a success coach as a condition of their enrollment and/or financial aid eligibility. Information obtained included perception of nonverbal immediacy of the coaches and self-efficacy of the student, …

Parts Of The Whole: The Last Column: Freire's Pedagogy Of Liberation, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

The educational theory of Paolo Freire is briefly summarized for instructors of quantitative reasoning, with a focus on what it means to give students “agency.” Some examples are given of how to implement his basic ideas.

Measuring Numeracy: Validity And The Programme For The International Assessment Of Adult Competencies (Piaac), Samuel L. Tunstall

Numeracy

A tension raised in recent scholarship is that between numeracy as a social practice and numeracy as a functional skill set. Such frameworks for conceptualizing numeracy pose a challenge to assessment because what individuals do with numeracy is not the same as what individuals can do (or express) in an assessment setting. This study builds on work related to numeracy assessment through a validity examination of a portion of a well-known assessment: the OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). In following a path set out by standards for assessment, I ask: What does the PIAAC numeracy …

Summer Camp Ocean: 7.10.20, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Center For Teaching And Learning

IMSA STEM Snack Boxes

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Science Identity In Undergraduate Stem Majors: A Case Study Of Urban High School Students, Charles Mcwilliams, Benjamin Nims, Kathleen Dwyer

Dissertations

The STEM fields, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, face a significant challenge: the underrepresentation of women and minority racial groups entering STEM degree programs and careers. Addressing this STEM gap requires more than quality curriculum and educational supports; there is a need to understand the social psychological processes that influence students’ perceptions, motivation, and interest in STEM. The concept of science identity has been posed as a research perspective to understand participation and persistence in STEM. Enacting a science identity may include describing oneself as a scientist, having a high sense of self-efficacy to do scientific work, displaying an interest …

Using Primary Literature On Sars‐Cov‐2 To Promote Student Learning About Evolution, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 has caused widespread deaths, illnesses, and societal disruption. I describe here how I pivoted a discussion‐based senior biology capstone course to include a multiweek module surrounding one primary literature paper on the evolution of SARS‐CoV‐2 and the subsequent scientific discourse about the paper. Using a gradual reveal of the paper following the CREATE method (consider, read, elucidate, and think of the next experiment), I challenged students to learn new evolutionary principles and critically analyze the data surrounding the evolution and transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 presented in the paper. I also provide general advice for …

Blended Learning Showing Gains, Jessica Lynn Becker

Graduate Teacher Education

In light of what is known about how children learn and the use of technology in society, blended learning is proving to be an effective teaching strategy to improve student academic achievement. Blended learning is a combination of digital technology with face-to-face direct instruction. The purpose of blended learning instruction is to combine the benefits of face-to-face direct instruction with the personalization and collaboration of digital technology. Blended learning comes in many different models that meet the many needs of teachers and school districts. It has succeeded in improving student academic achievement in different subject areas by allowing students to …

Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy: Reunión Nacional De Profesores Prepatec 2020, José M. Torres

Keynotes, Speeches, and Lectures

LEGISLATIVE MANDATE 1

The primary role of the Academy shall be to offer a challenging education for students talented in the areas of mathematics and science.

LEGISLATIVE MANDATE 2

The Academy shall also carry a responsibility to stimulate further excellence for all Illinois schools in mathematics and science.

Summer Camp Gardens: 7.3.20, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy, Center For Teaching And Learning

IMSA STEM Snack Boxes

No abstract provided.

News From The Graduate School - Educational Mathematics Summer 2020, Otterbein Office Of Graduate Programs

Graduate School

Newsletter that provides updates from the Graduate School and the Educational Mathematics Graduate Program.

Solving Linear First-Order Differential Equations Bernoulli's (Almost) Variation Of Parameters Method, Adam E. Parker

Differential Equations

No abstract provided.

Playfair's Introduction Of Time Series To Represent Data, Diana White, Joshua Eastes, Negar Janani, River Bond

Statistics and Probability

No abstract provided.

Playfair's Novel Visual Displays Of Data, Diana White, River Bond, Joshua Eastes, Negar Janani

Statistics and Probability

No abstract provided.

Solving First-Order Linear Differential Equations: Gottfried Leibniz' "Intuition And Check" Method, Adam E. Parker

Differential Equations

No abstract provided.

Wronskians And Linear Independence: A Theorem Misunderstood By Many, Adam E. Parker

Differential Equations

No abstract provided.

Solving Linear First-Order Differential Equations Leonard Euler's Integrating Factor Method, Adam E. Parker

Differential Equations

No abstract provided.