Notes that using spreadsheets to teach microeconomics principles enables learning by doing in the exploration of basic concepts. Introduction of increasingly complex topics leads to exploration of theory and managerial decision making. (SK)

Describes the use of spreadsheets to discuss mathematical concepts without using algebraic notation. Presents examples using Fibonacci numbers and factorials. (MKR)

A mechanism for using personal computer spreadsheet software to generate unique laboratory and problem assignments in optics for each student and provide corresponding solutions that can be checked quickly is described. The method minimizes some students' tendency to inspect others' solutions without solving problems themselves. Another…

Presents activities involving equal sharing, weighted averages, mean, median, mode, average cubes, and iterated averages, the last of which involves the use of a spreadsheet or graphing calculator. Includes reproducible student worksheets and questions for discussion. (MKR)

A survey of 209 Mid-South businesses determined spreadsheet usage, what competencies are needed for entry-level and continued employment, and sources of spreadsheet training. Recommended that, because of their widespread use, spreadsheets should be taught to all business students. (Author/JOW)

Spreadsheets can help teachers manage a variety of routine tasks with ease. From creating class lists to taking surveys and graphing results, spreadsheet programs have limitless classroom potential. This article offers six ways to put spreadsheets to work, including class lists, all-about-me surveys, name tags, calendars, skill-building games, and…

Describes the applications of "Quicken," a software package developed by Intuit, for use by school-business officials. The program can be used for activity-fund and student-activity accounting and for printing checks. Five figures that illustrate screen activities are included. (LMI)

Explores the study of ordered pairs to allow students to demonstrate their own creativity, apply previously learned computer skills, evaluate their own work, and draw connections to other mathematical strands. Using a spreadsheet, students construct a drawing composed of connected ordered pairs, the inverse, and the negative of the drawing. (ASK)

The authors use Microsoft Excel to derive compensated and uncompensated demand curves. They use a constant elasticity of substitution (CES) utility function to show how changes in a good's price or income affect the quantities demanded of that good and of the other composite good, using Excel's Solver. They provide three contributions. First, they…

Three techniques for determining a straight line fit to data are compared. The methods are applied to a range of datasets containing one or more outliers, and to a specific example from the field of chemistry. For the method which is the most resistant to the presence of outliers, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, as well as two Matlab routines, are…

Describes two applications in which the chain-weight index is explored using spreadsheet software. Explains that the first application introduces the concept by comparing it to Laspeyres, Paasche, and ideal indexes. States that the second application is a step-by-step process to calculate chain-weight index statistics. (JEH)

We describe the design of a sequence of spreadsheet-based pedagogic tasks for the introduction of algebra in the early years of secondary schooling within the Purposeful Algebraic Activity project. This design combines two relatively novel features to bring a different perspective to research in the use of spreadsheets for the learning and…

Conference proceedings of the 24th Annual Conference on the Teaching of Psychology: Ideas and Innovations, sponsored by the Psychology Department of the State University of New York at Farmingdale. The conference theme for 2010 was Fostering, Assessing, and Sustaining Student Engagement. The conference featured two keynote addresses from prominent…

Spreadsheets can be a powerful tool when it comes to teaching physics. From data analysis and graphing to animated simulations, Excel[R] is a very versatile program for the educator and learner alike. This paper describes and supports another use for Excel through Reflective Formative Assessment Spreadsheets (RFAS). To illustrate the use of RFAS,…

The basic properties of extensive air showers of particles produced in the interaction of a high-energy primary cosmic ray in the Earth's atmosphere are discussed in the context of educational cosmic ray projects involving undergraduate students and high-school teams. Simulation results produced by an air shower development code were made…