Latent transition analysis (LTA) was initially developed to provide a means of measuring change in dynamic latent variables. In this article, we illustrate the use of a cognitive diagnostic model, the DINA model, as the measurement model in a LTA, thereby demonstrating a means of analyzing change in cognitive skills over time. An example is…

Sequential science courses that cover multiple semesters, with each course serving as a prerequisite for subsequent courses, create a unique challenge for student engagement and success, as students are expected not only to engage with the new material, but also to quickly connect it with previously learned material. Games, simulations, and other…

"Survey Toolkit Collecting Information, Analyzing Data and Writing Reports" (Walsh, 2009a) is discussed as a survey research curriculum used by the author's sixth grade students. The report describes the implementation of "The Survey Toolkit" curriculum and "TinkerPlots"[R] software to provide instruction to students learning a project based…

As collaborative learning in general, and pair programming in particular, has become widely adopted in computer science education, so has the use of pedagogical visualization tools for facilitating collaboration. However, there is little theory on collaborative learning with visualization, and few studies on their effect on each other. We build on…

Human activity has profoundly altered the deciduous forest of the eastern United States. Modern forest is a patchwork of stands of varying ages, sizes, and shapes reflecting a complex history of land use. Much modern forest is nestled in and around human communities, and faces the threat of imminent clearance for residential and commercial…

Describes how a first-grade teacher used the "hypothesis-test" approach with Devin, a first grader who struggled as a reader and writer. Points out that, when she started working with Devin, she wanted to understand his difficulties, but by the end, she realized that it was her curriculum, not his difficulties, that needed to be in the foreground.…

Describes how a Title 1 lead teacher used the "hypothesis-test" approach with Joshua, a fifth-grade student from a "ravaged background" who was about two years behind in academic performance. Shows how, pursuing his inquiry, Joshua eventually became a strategic reader and a confident engaged learner. Notes that Joshua's turning point was also the…

Describes how a teacher used the "hypothesis-test" approach in elementary and junior high classrooms, teaching alone or team teaching, to be proactive about students needs instead of reactive to their disruptions or silence, to help kids who need it before they cry out, and to introduce them to the sweet taste of success before they encounter…

Describes how a teacher used the "hypothesis-test" (HT) approach with a first grader for a school year to examine up close the process of a child learning to read. Describes how the teacher saw what was happening as the children read and then brought that to the rest of the class so everyone could learn from each other. (SR)

Relates how two elementary school teachers were part of a research group that met one day a week at their schools to learn about the "hypothesis-test" process. Discusses the philosophical underpinnings of the approach and describes the four-step recursive process itself, consisting of observations, interpretations, hypothesis, and curricular…

Illustrates the "hypothesis-test" teaching approach with one kindergarten student. Notes that it was the author's stepping back to watch for multiple interpretations of her observations of Jaime's behavior that gave Jaime space to think, to use his voice to make connections, and to grow. (SR)

Unless the sample encompasses a substantial portion of the population, the standard error of an estimator depends on the size of the sample, but not the size of the population. This is a crucial statistical insight that students find very counterintuitive. After trying several ways of convincing students of the validity of this principle, I have…

To date, little of the ecological research on biological diversity and ecosystem functioning has been carried out in agricultural systems, despite the fact that agriculture is a major contributor to loss of native habitats and species. However, agricultural research has demonstrated that polycultures of multiple crop species can have higher total…

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a project-based course--World Water Problems--that was introduced within the framework of introductory undergraduate geography education. The aims of the course were twofold: (1) to cultivate in students a world geographic perspective on water problems; and (2) to conduct an original research…