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ERIC Number: ED319594
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1990-Apr
Pages: 131
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Teaching and Learning about Graphing through Computer-Assisted Problem Solving: Issues in the Design and Interpretation of Graphs, the Design and Use of Educational Software, and Classroom Research Methodology.
Jackson, David F.; And Others
Recent research has demonstrated the promise of graphing software as an aid to teaching graphs in two content areas: line graphs of aspects of motion and graphs of algebraic functions. This study attempted to generalize the idea of computer-assisted graphing to include the use of several kinds of graphs to solve a wider range of problems. A unit on graphical data analysis comprising seven class sessions was developed for secondary school students. Three sessions were devoted to didactic teaching aimed at familiarizing the students (1) with reading and using graphs and (2) with the capabilities of the software. Three sessions were devoted to guided practice in graphical data analysis in the context of problem sets. The final class session was devoted to a paper-and-pencil, free-response test, designed to correspond to the task environment similar to that of the computer problem-solving sessions. The research methodology consisted of observations of students' work and spontaneous interviews. The graphing software included a facility which automatically recorded behavioral trace data of the students' actions during the problem solving sessions. Student data were analyzed in two major ways: sequence matching and pattern matching; results of the analysis are presented in detail. Titles of the individual papers in this set are as follows: "Teaching the Design and Interpretation of Graphs through Computer-Aided Graphical Data Analysis" (B. J. Edwards, D. F. Jackson, C. F. Berger); "The Design of Software Tools for Meaningful Learning by Experience" (Jackson, Edwards, Berger); and "Using Technology To Interpret Large-Scale Complexity: The Use of Scientific Sequence Analysis Algorithms in Research on Computer-Assisted Problem Solving" (Jackson, Berger). (Author/YP)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A
Note: Paper Set presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (63rd, Atlanta, GA, April 8-11, 1990).