Email filters classify new messages as either spam or not spam based on word frequency, syntax, and metadata. A "classifier" is an algorithm that maps input data into categories based on distinguishing characteristics, or "features." Features can be raw data or attributes derived from that data. "Feature engineering"…

We introduce a new metric--the classification power--to examine the effectiveness of postsecondary mathematics placement policies. This metric addresses the methodological challenges of contextualizing the effectiveness of a single placement policy and comparing the effectiveness of multiple placement policies across different student populations.…

The notion of definition is a central building block of mathematics. In addition to specific definitions, it is desirable that students learn about meta-mathematical aspects of definitions such as their role of classification, and about characteristics of definitions such as arbitrariness. We investigated how such meta-mathematical aspects emerge…

Creative thinking transforms existing information, either from long-term memory or external sources, into new representations and innovative ideas. Creative thinking is an activity that processes received information to produce new representations and innovative ideas. Developing this skill is essential for students; however, recent research has…

Background: The debate on using concrete versus abstract materials in learning mathematics has been longstanding. For decades, research has focused on the physical characteristics of materials when defining them as concrete or abstract. Aims: This study extends the field by proposing a two-dimensional classification, which defines materials as…

Over the past ten years, interest in game-based learning has increased. This increase stems from the results of research that demonstrate the potential for increased mathematical learning and engagement when game-based learning was implemented. It has been noted that the most frequent way game-based learning is included in research is with drill…

Computational thinking (CT) is becoming increasingly important as a learning content. Subject-integrated approaches aim to develop CT within other subjects like mathematics. The question is how exactly CT can be integrated and learned in mathematics classrooms. In a case study involving 12 sixth-grade learners, CT activities were explored that…

The challenge posed by algebra story problems creates a significant hurdle for many students, transcending both the mathematical content of the problem and the specific instructional background received. This study offers a distinctive contribution to the existing literature by focusing on the cognitive conditions essential for comprehension in…

Prompting learners to generate examples has been proposed as an effective way of developing understanding of a new concept. However, empirical support for this approach is lacking. This article presents two empirical studies on the use of example-generation tasks in an online course in introductory university mathematics. The first study compares…

In research on mathematical problem posing, a broad spectrum of different situations is used to induce the activity of posing problems. This review aims at characterizing these so-called problem-posing situations by conducting three consecutive analyses: (1) By analyzing the openness of potential problem-posing situations, the concept of…

In recent years, smart learning environments have become central to modern education and support students and instructors through tools based on prediction and recommendation models. These methods often use learning material metadata, such as the knowledge contained in an exercise which is usually labeled by domain experts and is costly and…

The making of mathematical connections in the classroom plays a dual role. While many studies highlight the importance of connections for the learning of mathematics, others inform of students' difficulties associated with the making of connections. This study aims to characterise the mathematical connections that arise in habitual classroom…

The multiplicative reasoning that students should develop in elementary school is a key area of research in contemporary mathematics education. Researchers employ various views including multiplication as arithmetic operation, multiplicative structures, and multiplicative relationships. They also propose various classifications of multiplicative…

Place value is one of the 'big ideas' in number and plays a critical role in helping students develop their number sense, problem solving and computation skills. Yet, the elegant simplicity of our place value system belies the abstract nature of the construct. This paper presents data from 606 Year 3-6 students (ages 8-12) from two metropolitan…

In spring 2018, an inquiry-oriented differential equations course was offered at the Lebanese American University. This paper highlights students' comprehension of some qualitative aspects of differential equations, namely their understanding of the equations and their solutions. It also explores the students' success in moving between the…