In addressing the challenge of fostering functional thinking (FT) in secondary school students, our research centered on the question of how an embodied design can enhance FT's different aspects, including input-output, covariation, and correspondence views. Drawing from embodied cognition theory and focusing on an action- and perception-based…

This paper addresses the issue of effective content-delivery of Computer Science subjects taking advantage of a university intranet. The proposal described herein for teaching a subject like Combinatorics and Graph Theory (CGT) is to supplement lectures with a moderated online forum against an associated intranet portal, which is referred to as a…

In this paper we describe a touchscreen application called "TouchCounts," which is designed to support the development of number sense in the early years. We first provide an a priori analysis of its affordances. Then, using Sfard's communicational approach, augmented by a focus both on the role of the body--particularly the fingers…

This article explicates the development of top-view numeric coding of 3-D cube structures within a design research project focused on 3-D visualization skills for elementary grades children. It describes children's conceptual development of 3-D cube structures using concrete models, conventional 2-D pictures and abstract top-view numeric…

SMART Technologies is leading the way for interactive learning, through their many different tools. The SMART Table is a multi-user, multi-touch interactive interface that not only teaches children different concepts in fun ways (Steurer P., 2003), but it also inspires cooperative competition. In Alabama, the state curriculum for kindergarten…

In today's teaching and learning approaches for first-semester students, practical courses more and more often complement traditional theoretical lectures. This practical element allows an early insight into the real world of engineering, augments student motivation, and enables students to acquire soft skills early. This paper describes a new…

This research aims to explore the role of physical representations in young children's numerical learning then identify the benefits of using a graphical interface in order to understand the potential for developing interactive technologies in this domain. Three studies are reported that examined the effect of using physical representations…

Educators recognize that group work and physical involvement with learning materials can greatly enhance the understanding and retention of difficult concepts. As a result, math manipulatives--such as pattern blocks and number lines--have increasingly been making their way into classrooms and children's museums. Yet without the constant guidance…