The purpose of this study was to determine (1) strategies students use when solving composition problems and the difficulties they encounter; (2) conceptions and/or misconceptions students have with respect to composition of functions; and (3) the effect of using dynamic visualization during instruction on students' understanding of composition of…

Fundamental concepts and definitions of electronic learning (eLearning) continue to emerge, and theories of eLearning that have been advanced thus far cover an array of academic perspectives including training and education, learning and knowledge, and technology and applications to specific market segments. Any study of the effectiveness and…

Using animated visualization tools has been an important teaching approach in computer science education. We have developed three visualization and animation tools that demonstrate various information security concepts and actively engage learners. The information security concepts illustrated include: packet sniffer and related computer network…

Visualization through the use of physical objects is an important method that instructors can use to convey and solidify an understanding of economic principles in their novice students of economics. This paper outlines three simple examples which have been successful in the classroom, each taking a question that students frequently ask--why we…

As a result of attending a course on moving images, the authors consider the balance between visualising and verbalising geometry. In thinking about the balance between visualising and verbalising (and verbal reasoning), the authors began to appreciate more than before that geometric visualisation is greatly aided by what they know--if everyone…

Sex differences in spatial ability are well documented, but poorly understood. In order to see whether working memory is an important factor in these differences, 50 males and 50 females performed tests of three-dimensional mental rotation and spatial visualization, along with tests of spatial and verbal working memory. Substantial differences…

This article, a play designed around an imaginary conversation between geometric objects, summarizes various approaches to visualizing a tesseract (a.k.a. hypercube--a four-dimensional analog of a cube).

I report on the findings from research and literature on (a) use of symbols in mathematics, (b) algebraic/trigonometric expressions, (c) solving equations, and (d) functions and calculus. From these, some insights and implications for teaching and learning are derived.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of one element of a principal preparation graduate program that uses visualization as a technique to practice decision making. Design/methodology/approach: The author analyzed information collected from participants who created personal case studies using a visualization technique. Data…

National tests, an influential assessment practice in many countries in East Asia, are often blamed as obstacles to good instructional practices. In this paper, the positive impact of assessment, national tests in particular, is discussed using the case of Singapore. The first part of the paper includes an analysis of items from the primary grade…

When response activities and comprehension strategies are combined, classroom instruction can enhance student engagement and understanding of a text, enrich student response, and improve students' awareness of their own strategic reading. This article presents some activities, adapted from the new IRA book "Children's Literature in the Reading…

The author employs Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences to frame a discussion about the abilities of children on the Autism spectrum. Since children possess special gifts in visual/spatial areas, an argument is made to support this ability instead of "correcting" it into a more "normal" range. References from Dr. Temple Grandin's life…

Three studies were conducted to examine the relation of spatial visualization to solving kinematics problems that involved either predicting the two-dimensional motion of an object, translating from one frame of reference to another, or interpreting kinematics graphs. In Study 1, 60 physics-naive students were administered kinematics problems and…

Virtual Globe software has become extremely popular both inside and outside of educational settings. This software allows users to explore the Earth in three dimensions while streaming satellite imagery, elevation, and other data from the Internet. Virtual Globes, such as Google Earth, NASA World Wind, and ESRI's ArcGIS Explorer can be effectively…

Three experiments examined the effects of interactive visualizations and spatial abilities on a task requiring participants to infer and draw cross sections of a three-dimensional (3D) object. The experiments manipulated whether participants could interactively control a virtual 3D visualization of the object while performing the task, and…