In this practitioner-focused article, the authors present a mathematical writing activity for preservice elementary school teachers. The products of this activity, referred to as "journals," are detailed, representation-rich explanations of problems solved in small groups. These journals were originally exchanged across institutions in a…

Relative quantification is a popular analysis in gene expression studies using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). However, the calculation steps using the major algorithms for this analysis are rather complicated. In this study, we developed an easy-to-use spreadsheet-based method for relative quantification. The inputs from end-users are the…

Computer-based virtual learning environments (CBVLEs) have attracted attention as a learning innovation that can foster students' self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation. Research on the instructional design regarding these aspects of learning in a virtual learning environment is rather piecemeal. This study investigates the instructional design of…

In this paper we discuss the types of knowledge used by six middle school students as they engaged with a debugging task designed to integrate ideas from computer science, mathematics and science. Our findings show that the computational thinking practice of debugging is a rich source of opportunities to integrate these different disciplines. The…

Involving students in scientific modeling practice is one of the most effective approaches to achieving the next generation science education learning goals. Given the complexity and multirepresentational features of scientific models, scoring student-developed models is time- and cost-intensive, remaining one of the most challenging assessment…

The author focused on solving problems of third-degree price discrimination under a monopoly by integrating microeconomic theory and spreadsheet modeling. Price discrimination refers to a firm situation in which the same good is sold to different groups of consumers at different prices. First, the author included an introductory math background…

Sinusoidal functions are difficult for students: Periodicity is a new concept, transferring information from the unit circle can be confusing, and computations with multiple solutions can be overwhelming. Many struggle with both the unfamiliar "waviness" of sinusoidal graphs and their transformations (translations, dilations, and…

We present a modernization of the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory experiment for determining the speed of sound in various gases from resonant frequencies in a spherical resonator. The resonator (schematic IR = 7.5 cm) is constructed by 3D printing with eco-friendly poly(lactic acid), a commercially viable alternative to traditional…

Traditionally, clustering algorithms focus on partitioning the data into groups of similar instances. The similarity objective, however, is not sufficient in applications where a "fair-representation" of the groups in terms of protected attributes like gender or race, is required for each cluster. Moreover, in many applications, to make…

The need to benefit from information technologies in the twenty-first century digital age is increasing in all economies to overcome problems and difficulties and to have desired solutions. So, developing algorithmic thinking has been important as a skill that requires the application of knowledge from different disciplines, especially science,…

An educational team founded by Seymour Papert at MIT has developed an evolving series of computing environments designed to facilitate computational thinking. Papert outlined the goal of developing educational environments to facilitate the use of computer as a computational object in a seminal publication, "Teaching Children Thinking"…

In this study, the contribution of the 3D computer modeling to the twenty-first century's common competencies was evaluated from the perspective of secondary school students. The one-group post-test only design was used in the study. The instruments of the data collection process were an achievement test and a questionnaire developed by the…

Throughout time people have been measuring the rising and setting positions of celestial objects with respect to the horizon. The motivation for this paper is to provide a link between mathematical and observational approximations for the Sun's declination (angular distance from the celestial equator). One source had students do an experiment with…

Number sense is the foundation of arithmetic and algebra, yet relatively little research has deeply investigated what children do as they develop number sense. This case study provides insights into that development as it occurred during interactions with a multi-touch mathematics digital game, including conceptually congruent gestures. Findings…

Social networking-based learning (SN-learning) is one of the most promising innovations to promote learning via a social network, and thus, providing a more interactive, student-centered, cooperative, and on-demand environment. In such an environment, group formation plays an important role to the effectiveness of learning process. Adequate groups…