In this paper, we describe three practical exercises relating to algorithm education. The exercises are based on a learning support system that offers visualization of program behavior. Systems with the ability to visualize program behavior are effective to promote the understanding of algorithm behavior. The introduction of these systems into an…

We examine teachers' use of resources as they prepare to teach the topic of numerical series of real numbers, in order to identify how their "personal relationship" with mathematical content--and its teaching--interacts with their use of a commonly used textbook. We describe this interplay between textbook and personal relationship, a…

Gross anatomy is located in a three-dimensional space. Visualizing aspects of structures in gross anatomy education should aim to provide information that best resembles their original spatial proportions. Stereoscopic three-dimensional imagery might offer possibilities to implement this aim, though some research has revealed potential impairments…

Empirical evidence indicates that students are not learning geometry with relational understanding of the concepts. Studies have shown that digital technologies can support students in mathematics. The purpose of this study was to find which technologies and technological affordances are specific to learners of geometry. This paper presents the…

This paper reports on an interview study of 18 Grade 10-12 students' model-based reasoning of a chemical reaction: the reaction of magnesium and oxygen at the submicro level. It has been proposed that chemical reactions can be conceptualised using two models: (i) the "particle model," in which a reaction is regarded as the simple…

The "Yet Another extended Hu¨ckel Molecular Orbital Package" (YAeHMOP) has been merged with the Avogadro open-source molecular editor and visualizer. It is now possible to perform YAeHMOP calculations directly from the Avogadro graphical user interface for materials that are periodic in one, two, or three dimensions, and to visualize…

This paper is intended to investigate the merits of adding manipulative devices and solid model simulations to accompany traditional lecture and demonstration materials to a Dynamics course. Based on the successes of Graphics courses using manipulative devices and simulation software to enhance spatial visualization skills in engineering students,…

Design thinking is a creative practice that sparks managers' thinking and acting in response to the challenges of shifting consumer preferences, emerging new technological possibilities, and changing business models. The issues for management education, that is, preparing students for future management roles, is how one can teach design thinking…

According to variation theory, it is essential to enable students to focus on the object of learning and discern its critical features, but the features that "it is possible" to discern often depend on the equipment used. Thus, in labs, the experimental technologies used may shape students' experience of focal phenomena, in a…

Spatial ability predicts success in STEM (Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics) fields, particularly chemistry. This paper reports two studies investigating the unique contribution of mental rotation ability to spatial thinking in a STEM discipline. Using authentic disciplinary tasks from chemistry, we show that the difficulty of a…

Introductory chemistry students encounter the concept of hybrid orbitals as a transition from atomic orbitals to molecular bonding. The principal purpose of learning hybridization in the undergraduate curriculum is to impart an understanding of the origins of molecular bonding and geometry. Physical models of both individual hybrid orbitals and…

A parsing algorithm visualizer is a tool that visualizes the construction of a parser for a given context-free grammar and then illustrates the use of that parser to parse a given string. Parsing algorithm visualizers are used to teach the course on compiler construction which in invariably included in all undergraduate computer science curricula.…

There is a growing need for public understanding about groundwater resources. Knowing what groundwater and aquifers are is fundamental to understanding more complex issues such as groundwater quality and availability. However, groundwater and related concepts are among the topics that instructors most struggle to teach. Although constructivist…

Assessment is a central component of course curriculums and is used to certify student learning, but it can also be used as a tool to improve teaching and learning. Many laboratory courses are structured such that there is only a grade for a particular laboratory, which limits the insights that can be gained in student learning. We developed a…

The most challenging parts of teaching mathematics are engaging students and helping them understand the connections between mathematics concepts. In this volume, you'll find a collection of low floor, high ceiling tasks that will help you do just that, by looking at the big ideas at the third-grade level through visualization, play, and…