EDITORIAL: Humanizing Learning

This study aims to design online mathematics games using Scratch, Geogebra, and Geogebra AR through multimedia education mathematics courses. This study used the multimedia development life cycle. Participants in the study were 41 students (13 male and 28 female) of fifth-semester in a multimedia course in mathematics education at a university in West Java, Indonesia. The research instrument was a questionnaire through Google Forms, performance appraisal, observation, and interviews. Based on the research results it is known that Scratch, Geogebra, and Geogebra AR can be used in math game design even though previous students have not studied both, but the results are good. The author suggests that students can try out these math games at school during research or teaching practice. In addition, the authors hope that the game can be published on the internet so that it can be used by many students. Keywords: game online, scratch, geogebra AR

A Survey of the Current Status of Visually Impaired Students in Secondary Mathematics, by Donald W. Rapp and Audrey J. Rapp, originally published in the February 1992 issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, Volume 86, pp. 115-117. When I was asked to take on this project and pick one single article that mattered to me, I found it to be very difficult. I have read The series editor of This Mattered to Me is Stuart H. Wittenstein, Ed.D., superintendent of the California School for the Blind. hundreds of articles from the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) that have had an impact on my professional career. Like many in the field of visual impairment, I have an array of professional teaching and research interests. Thus, picking just one article on one area of was quite difficult. After much thought, I decided to go back to my roots as an educator: secondary mathematics. My first job was at the Alabama School for the Blind as its secondary mathematics teacher, and it was during my time there that I began a never-ending search for any and all information related to teaching mathematics to students with visual impairments. During this search, I discovered the JVIB article, A Survey of the Current Status of Visually Impaired Students in Secondary Mathematics, by Donald W. Rapp and Audrey J. Rapp, which included the findings of a questionnaire that was answered by teachers of students with visual impairments. Timeless research When I first read the Rapp and Rapp article, it was already eight years old, but it was the only data that existed at that time that discussed the types of mathematics that were being taught to secondary students with visual impairments. The authors conducted a simple survey of teachers of students with visual impairments in six New England states. The survey included questions on which secondary mathematics courses the teachers' students were taking, how the students were aided in their general education mathematics courses, and what tools they utilized. The most profound aspect of the article was the finding that of the 40 students who were reported as using braille as their primary literacy medium, only 19 (over half) were not enrolled in typical secondary mathematics courses. From this finding, one can surmise that either a large proportion of the students studied had cognitive disabilities in addition to their visual impairment that inhibited their abilities to take secondary mathematics courses or that their IEP (Individualized Education Program) teams did not push them to enroll in higher mathematics courses. Although cognitive disabilities may have ruled out higher mathematics for a number of these students, I suspect the latter is true. In my experience in the field of visual impairment, unfortunately, I do not believe that conditions have improved since this article was published. Let this study serve as a reminder that students who are blind need to be encouraged to enroll in higher mathematics courses. The article also highlighted the need for increased teacher training in braille. I was moved by the fact that 73% of the teachers who responded to the survey expressed interest in a workshop to review concepts of algebra, geometry and algebra II, with application of the Nemeth Code (p. …

We consider a variety of writing assignments used for two general education mathematics courses. The student writing ranges from brief informal pieces to more formal assignments that address the full scope of a course, with an emphasis on encouraging students to have a richer experience of mathematical people and ideas and of their own learning. The assignments incorporate multiple media, including novels and films, and are spread throughout a course so that students have frequent and regular exposure to writing.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries have had to change their usual teaching environment, and processes (especially traditional face to face education) with distance education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the Grade 9 mathematics course contents shared on the EBA platform in terms of mathematics values (mathematical values and mathematics educational values). In this sense, this study was a qualitative research based on document review. Data were collected from the Grade 9 mathematics course contents that exist in the EBA affiliated to the Turkish Ministry of National Education and were analysed using semantic content analysis. The results showed that the mathematical values such as objectivism, openness, rationalism, and the mathematics educational values such as formalistic view of mathematics learning, inquiry, instrumental understanding, facts & theories are often emphasized in distance education mathematics courses. The results of the study were also compared in detail with the results of the face-to-face mathematics education studies in the relevant literature (especially in the context of Turkey) and in this context some suggestions were also made for further studies.

We describe how faculty and staff used improvement science design Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles and engaged in interdisciplinary conversations in an effort to improve students’ performance in introductory mathematics courses. This initiative started with College Algebra a course with a large enrollment of students that had a high failure rate. We engaged in PDSA cycles over a period of 4 years. From 2011–2015, we used data from student assessment scores, course evaluations, lab surveys, and instructors’ observations to inform decisions to transform introductory mathematics courses. The transformative efforts positively enhanced students’ performance. Furthermore, to reflect on our PDSA cycles and the broader implications of institutionalized change to mathematics courses, we engaged in frequent interdisciplinary conversations to discuss complexities and challenges. These meetings provided an opportunity to build a common vision about the nature and delivery of the mathematics taught to better serve students The themes of the conversations were on curriculum, assessment, instruction, the complexities of the change process, cultivating a growth mindset, and the need to engage in research in general education mathematics courses. Therefore, in this article we provide insights as to how interdisciplinary conversations were used to implement evidence-based teaching practices and also pedagogical approaches that can be used to facilitate students learning.

The pandemic resulted in many courses being shifted to online delivery, but some courses are designed as online courses from their conception. Courses intentionally designed for online delivery should be well-received by students, but it is not clear which aspects of courses students find particularly appealing and unappealing. We examined students’ perceptions of one such online asynchronous course in psychology in order to better understand students’ preferences in terms of specific course elements. Students were asked to identify what they particularly liked and disliked about the course in two open-ended questions. Responses were then coded to quantify the frequency of each aspect of the course. An inductive and latent approach to coding was used, with codes being used to develop themes based on the underlying meaning of the text. Overall, students identified few negative aspects about the course. They particularly enjoyed the specific psychology content, format, and structure of the course, that it related to their real lives, and the flexibility provided by the asynchronous nature. The hope is that this information can be used to improve this particular course as well as inform instructor decision-making related to the design of online asynchronous courses in general.

Teaching and learning involve reflexive actions and should be chosen thoughtfully and deliberately, not because someone has decided “what works.” In this study, I examine how complex conversations might offer pedagogical and theoretical (re)considerations in a teacher education course on mathematics. The term “math methods” is a doubly weighted phrase, for both mathematics and methods connote particular ideologies prevalent in current educational rhetoric. In order to unpack the impact of these words, I engage in research based on inquiry, historical analysis, and personal reflections, all of which I use in an eclectic, thoughtful, and explorative manner. The two main research questions I will explore in this dissertation involve effort by “teacher” and “student” in which both are learners, knowers and participants. The first question is how can complex conversations—those involving multiple perspectives—aid pre-service teachers in becoming reflective practitioners, effective professionals, and inquiring pedagogues? Specifically, teaching mathematics as a relational activity—in which a hermeneutical perspective is crucial—brings forth epistemological questions and issues. The historical situatedness of teacher education and mathematics education become relevant with respect to current epistemological perspectives of teachers and researchers, and these influences are examined in the context of pre-service teachers’ positionalities. The second question involves an examination of how I am transformed as I experience and reflect on participation in these complex conversations. While engaged as an instructor, I am simultaneously influenced by research in complexity theory, curriculum theory, and teacher education. In complex conversations, we can find possibilities for teaching and learning, even potential ways of being that we do not yet know. Complex conversations encourage a different form of interaction, a different way of imagining the world—different from a Ramist method of hierarchies, different from a patriarchal positioning of supervisors over teachers and teachers over students, and different from mathematics as what is. In (re)imagining what mathematics can be, it is important to recognize how mathematics is currently construed. May mathematics education be(come) a field of study that allows for differences, multiple perspectives, and authentic questions, where ideas do not converge or diverge but co-emerge.

Choice of assignment has been shown to increase student engagement, improve academic outcomes, and promote student satisfaction in higher education courses (Hanewicz, Platt, & Arendt, Distance Education, 38(3), 273–287, 2017). However, in previous research, choice resulted in complex procedures and increased response effort for instructors (e.g., Arendt, Trego, & Allred, Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 8(1), 2–17, 2016). Using simplified procedures, the current study employed a repeated-measures with an alternating-treatments design to evaluate the effects of assignment choice (flash cards, study guide) on the academic outcomes of 42 graduate students in an online, asynchronous course. Slight differences between conditions were observed, but differences were not statistically significant.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-021-00566-8.

One of the key ideas of the modern-day elementary mathematics teacher education deals with mediating learning by visual thinking to enable transition from seeing and acting on concrete objects to describing the visual and the physical through culturally accepted symbolic representations. This paper shares mathematical activities designed originally for teacher candidates and used with students in upper elementary classrooms at a school in Upstate New York with minority student enrollment 97%. Because successful use of conceptual thinking by young students does have positive impact on their future teachers, connection of work in the school to a master’s level elementary mathematics education course taught by the authors is discussed. It is shown how using a spreadsheet and Wolfram Alpha allows for the research-like extension of the activities to the secondary level of mathematics education.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the mathematics questions asked in the High School Entrance Exam (LGS) and the 8th grade objectives of the Primary Education Mathematics Course Curriculum, and to reveal at which level cognitive processes are measured through these questions according to the revised Bloom taxonomy. Within the scope of the study, 20 mathematics questions in the 2021 LGS and 52 8th grade objectives based on the formation of these questions were analyzed by document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods. The questions and achievements were classified independently by the researcher teacher and a field expert, and descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data. The data obtained showed that the 2021 LGS mathematics questions were operational and metacognitive according to the knowledge dimension of the revised Bloom taxonomy, while the 8th grade mathematics objectives based on the formation of these questions were factual, conceptual and operational. In addition, it was concluded that most of the 2021 LGS mathematics questions measured the cognitive processes in the application and analysis steps in the cognitive dimension of the revised Bloom taxonomy, while the 8th grade mathematics objectives focused on the understanding and application steps. It is recommended that the mathematics questions in the high school entrance exams and the mathematics course objectives should be reviewed according to the revised Bloom's taxonomy metacognitive dimensions

Introduction: Creating a multiculturally aware and inclusive class is critical with students. The lack of face-to-face contact with asynchronous courses limits instructors’ ability to form relationships with students. A myriad of teaching research provides strategies for incorporating multiculturalism, social justice, and identity into synchronous courses; however, considerably less research exists with asynchronous courses. Statement of the Problem: The purpose of the current article is to provide strategies for incorporating multiculturalism and issues of identity into asynchronous courses with a social justice lens. Literature Review: I review several published topical and review articles and offer suggestions and strategies that I have used in my own courses and/or in courses I have been involved with. Teaching Implications: I discuss the importance of incorporating multiculturalism and identity while maintaining justice in asynchronous courses. Moreover, I offer suggestions and strategies for doing so, from prior to class starting to navigating instances of microaggressions. Conclusion: This article builds off and infuses components of counseling psychology into the teaching of psychology to advance instructors’ cultural awareness, skills, and competence with asynchronous online courses.

Aim/Purpose. Higher education institutions face difficulties and challenges when it comes to distance learning. The purpose of this paper is to examine self-efficacy indicators and student satisfaction during online English classes. Background. E-learning has been very relevant since the Covid-19 era and is still relevant today. It is possible for students to study regardless of their location or time. By measuring students’ self-efficacy, instructors can gain valuable insights into their students’ ability to create social interaction, cope with technology, and acquire knowledge and tools to manage the learning process. Methodology. This study uses mixed methods along with two measurements. Before and after the course, quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Higher education students in Israel participated. A total of 964 students enrolled in English as a foreign language courses at the pre-basic, basic, and advanced levels. Contribution. Analyzing self-efficacy from several angles provides insight into students. What influences students’ confidence and belief in their ability to succeed in online courses. Moreover, how students perceive their own learning and how they cope with challenges. Findings. Compared to the measurement before the course, self-efficacy decreased on average. Most significant decreases occurred in ‘creating social interactions’ and ‘acquirement of knowledge and tools’ to manage the learning process. A slight decrease was observed in the ability to cope with technology. Additionally, self-efficacy and satisfaction with the course were positively correlated. Recommendations for Practitioners. An overview is provided of the most effective tools and techniques for teaching languages in digital format in this paper. This will allow instructors to design and deliver courses in a more effective way. Thus, they will be able to make better informed decisions, resulting in better outcomes for students. Recommendations for Researchers. Distance Learning courses should resemble the common digital environments in everyday life, rather than imitating face-to-face courses mainly in the field of social interaction. Impact on Society. Digital tools should be encouraged that facilitate effective learning processes instead of sticking to traditional methods that characterize face-to-face courses. Using common interfaces in daily use among the general population will enable the implementation of these recommendations. Future Research. Future studies could be helpful if they compared the English courses developed in the CEFR model with those taught face-to-face as well as those taught online. In addition, motivation and self-monitoring should be examined in both synchronous and asynchronous courses as well.

Teaching mathematics in an EFL context at higher education; before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative study

This book explains and demonstrates the teaching strategy of asking learners to construct their own examples of mathematical objects. The authors show that the creation of examples can involve transforming and reorganizing knowledge and that, although this is usually done by authors and teachers, if the responsibility for making examples is transferred to learners, their knowledge structures can be developed and extended. A multitude of examples to illustrate this is provided, spanning primary, secondary, and college levels. Readers are invited to learn from their own past experience augmented by tasks provided in the book, and are given direct experience of constructing examples through a collection of many tasks at many levels. Classroom stories show the practicalities of introducing such shifts in mathematics education. The authors examine how their approach relates to improving the learning of mathematics and raise future research questions.*Based on the authors' and others' theoretical and practical experience, the book includes a combination of exercises for the reader, practical applications for teaching, and solid scholarly grounding.*The ideas presented are generic in nature and thus applicable across every phase of mathematics teaching and learning.*Although the teaching methods offered are ones that engage learners imaginatively, these are also applied to traditional approaches to mathematics education; all tasks offered in the book are within conventional mathematics curriculum content.Mathematics as a Constructive Activity: Learners Generating Examples is intended for mathematics teacher educators, mathematics teachers, curriculum developers, task and test designers, and classroom researchers, and for use as a text in graduate-level mathematics education courses.

The objective of this study was to follow up changes in knowledge related to the mathematics education field work of preliminary early childhood teachers. The subjects of this research were 28 students who were taking mathematics education courses in early childhood education departments at various universities. This research ran for 15 weeks and was conducted through field work relating to mathematics education. The study collected data from pre-service teachers' knowledge, the diagram of concept, writing journals, interviews, and materials from the internet. Through this procedure, pre-service teachers' knowledge for mathematics education could later be expanded, ordered, and integrated. In addition, pre-service teachers not only understood the importance of contents and levels of lesson plans, but also learned how to utilize educational media to make effective lessons. Furthermore, pre-service teachers realized that the mathematical concepts of students could be expanded depending on the contents and methods of pre-service teachers' lesson plans and students could then apply these concepts into daily situations.