In the Netherlands, national assessments at the end of primary school (Grade 6) show a decline of achievement on problems of complex or written arithmetic over the last two decades. The present study aims at contributing to an explanation of the large achievement decrease on complex division, by investigating the strategies students used in…

A model is presented that describes a scalar field interacting with a point particle in (1+1) dimensions. The model exhibits many of the same phenomena that appear in classical electrodynamics, such as radiation and radiation damping, yet has a much simpler mathematical structure. By studying these phenomena in a highly simplified model, the…

The 13th iteration of the International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM 2020) was originally arranged to take place in Ifrane, Morocco. Due to the SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) epidemic, EDM 2020, as well as most other academic conferences in 2020, had to be changed to a purely online format. To facilitate efficient transmission of…

Newbrough's Third Position is discussed in terms of its utility as a framework within which to understand and resolve interpersonal differences, seemingly irresolvable diametric differences, and conflictual situations. The framework's essential elements and its application is illustrated through the presentation of a series of fictitious scenarios…

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (www.usdoj.gov), Community Policing is defined as: "The focus on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that includes aspects of traditional law enforcement, as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement, and partnerships. The community policing model balances…

This note describes an interdisciplinary project designed to enhance students' knowledge of the basic techniques taught in a multivariable calculus course. The note discusses the four main requirements of the project and then the solutions for each requirement. Concepts covered include differentials, gradients, Lagrange multipliers, constrained…

As the number of students with disabilities who are entering postsecondary education continues to rise, the need for their adequate preparation to successfully complete programs of study is a critical concern. A common characteristic of students who successfully enter and complete programs of study in postsecondary settings is that of having…

"On your mark, get set, go!" Elementary students love to hear these words as they participate in the annual Third Grade Better Boat Challenge. This highly motivational project started a few years ago as the author was developing the third-grade science curriculum to include a study that revolved around models, design, and problem solving. It has…

Grounded in the work of W. Edwards Deming, this article describes the basics of systems thinking, viewing a business as a system, and contrasts improving a system with solving a problem. The article uses the human body as a metaphor to describe the various aspects of viewing a business as a system at the concept level and maps the Deming cycle,…

We propose a new paradigm for building a Management Information Systems course that focuses on laboratory activities developed collaboratively using Computer-Mediated Communication and Collaboration tools. A highlight of our paradigm is the "practice what you preach" concept where the computer communication tools and collaboration…

This report makes recommendations for the development of middle-school assessment in mathematics, based on a synthesis of scientific findings in cognitive psychology and mathematics education. The focus is on background research, rather than test specifications or example tasks. Readers interested in early development and pilot efforts associated…

This study reviews theories supporting the construction of student knowledge and found they rely upon theoretical operations with few pragmatic applications. A new paradigm of learning needs to emerge which focuses on how students actually construct their own knowledge, based on reconstructing current/past knowledge or experience, and their…

This paper grows from research which focuses on the learning characteristics of PhD students, incorporating communities of practice both during their studies and beyond completion of their PhD, and drawing on theories of adult learning and lifelong learning. It shows how professional discourse enhances academic discourse through student engagement…

This study examined how global learning teams utilized technology in a virtual collaboration to solve complex problems. The study offers an in-depth explanation of why and how the learning teams used technology to support computer-mediated communication. A model of technology application at different stages of virtual collaborative process is…

A simplified model of an industrially relevant fluid-particle flow system is analyzed using linear stability theory. Instabilities of the uniform state of a fluidized bed are investigated in response to small flow perturbations. Students are expected to perform each step of the computational analysis, and physical insight into key mechanistic…