This article reports the findings of Phase II of our study of student use of web-based tutorial materials for general chemistry and student understanding of chemistry concepts. We have found that students who use the web site valued the aspects of visualization of chemistry concepts and availability of materials online. In our analysis of student…

This report summarizes findings on strategies chosen by students (n=38) when solving algebra problems related to various functions with the freedom to use a TI-83 graphing calculator, influences on student problem-solving strategy choices, student ability to approach algebra problems with use of multiple representations, and student beliefs on how…

The purpose of this paper is to describe a typology of instructor discourse interventions to enhance mathematical discourse in online asynchronous discussions in a statistics course for teachers. A completely asynchronous model of distance delivery was used for the course. Emphasis was given to fostering mathematical discourse in that the students…

Computer simulations can facilitate the building of models of natural phenomena in research, such as in the molecular life sciences. In order to introduce molecular life science students to the use of computer simulations for model building, a digital case was developed in which students build a model of a pattern formation process in…

Prospective teachers and teacher educators both confront practical and philosophical issues in attempting to integrate technology into their practice. This paper describes a case study of a science teacher educator, a novice in instructional technology, who integrated technology into an elementary science methods course, with the support of a PT3…

Students from five high schools participated in a 2 to 4-week microcomputer based laboratory (MBL) physics curriculum in two groups. One group completed the curriculum entirely online, and the other completed the same curriculum in a traditional classroom setting. Variables were collected to predict student success on a post-unit measure of…

This article attempts to extend current research and development activities related to the use of technology in problem posing, to early grades mathematics. It is motivated by the authors' work with elementary preservice teachers toward this goal, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. New York State Learning Standards for K-4 mathematics…

Nondeterminism is an essential concept in mathematics and one of the important concepts in computer science. It is also among the most abstract ones. Thus, many students find it difficult to cope with. In this article, we describe some didactic considerations, which guided the development of a "Computational Models" course for high school…

Sometimes, if you do not begin at the end, you end at the beginning. This problem-solving phenomenon, in the realm of computer science (CS), is the subject of this paper. Beginning at the end yields a "working backwards" approach, opposite to that of "working forwards." One might expect 3rd year CS students to be aware of and effectively utilize…

Within-group similarities and between-group differences are used to illustrate the socio-cultural nature of the concept-building process in highly collaborative computer science classrooms. Simultaneously, a social constructivist perspective is used to describe the individual aspects of this development. The study uses written explanations from…

This article presents research on students' understanding of basic concepts in Graph Theory. Students' understanding is analyzed through the lens of the theoretical framework of reducing abstraction (Hazzan, 1999). As it turns out, in spite of the relative simplicity of the concepts that are introduced in the introductory part of a traditional…

This article reports on results of an exploratory study on undergraduate pre-service teachers' understanding of graphical representations of motion functions. The study described pre-service teachers' explorations using a CBR device. Pre-service teachers' growth was studied in two dimensions: (a) in their learning of the mathematics involved and…

The purpose of this study was to examine how 3-dimensional (3-D) models of the Solar System supported student development of conceptual understandings of various astronomical phenomena that required a change in frame of reference. In the course described in this study, students worked in teams to design and construct 3-D virtual reality computer…

This paper discusses programs that clarify some statistical ideas often discussed yet poorly understood by students. The programs adopt the approach of demonstrating what is happening, rather than using the computer to do the work for the students (and hide the understanding). The programs demonstrate normal probability plots, overfitting of…

Theory suggests that studying worked examples and engaging in self-explanation will improve learning and problem solving. A growing body of evidence supports the use of web-based assessments for improving undergraduate performance in traditional large enrollment courses. This article describes a study designed to investigate these techniques in a…