We compared students' learning gains in authentic seventh-grade classrooms (N = 144) in 4 different interventions that incorporated a computer game that aims to teach players to solve linear equations. Significantly higher learning gains were measured in the implementations that were specifically designed to mediate the attribution of algebraic…

The transition from arithmetic to algebra in general, and the use of symbolic generalizations in particular, are a major challenge for beginning algebra students. In this article, we describe and analyze students' learning in a "computer intensive environment" designed ad hoc and implemented in two seventh grade classrooms throughout two…

This study is part of a large research and development project aimed at observing, describing and analyzing the learning processes of two seventh grade classes during a yearlong beginning algebra course in a computer intensive environment (CIE). The environment includes carefully designed algebra learning materials with a functional approach, and…

The purpose of this report is to investigate the range of student responses in three domains--hypothesizing, organizing data, and algebraic generalization of patterns during their work on a spreadsheet-based activity. In a wider context, we attempted to investigate students' utilization schemes of spreadsheets in their learning of introductory…