ERIC Number: EJ1375104
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1093-023X
EISSN: N/A
Show the Flow: Visualizing Students' Problem-Solving Processes in a Dynamic Algebraic Notation Tool
Ji-Eun Lee; Aravind Stalin; Vy Ngo; Katie Drzewiecki; Cindy Trac; Erin Ottmar
Journal of Interactive Learning Research, v33 n2 p97-126 2022
New educational technologies that utilize students' interaction data and visualizations provide a means to expand our understanding of learning processes. In this study, we apply two advanced and novel data visualization techniques, called the "Indivisualizer" and a "Sankey diagram," to explore how middle school students (N = 343) solved problems in a game-based dynamic algebraic notation tool. Specifically, this study (1) illustrates the application of a set of data visualization techniques using clickstream data collected from the tool and explores the detailed step by step information about students' algebraic problem-solving processes that these visualizations provide, and (2) examines the associations between the productivity of initial solution strategies, prior knowledge, and efficiency of problem-solving. The results indicate a large variation in the types of strategies that students use to solve the problems, with some approaches being more efficient than others. Moreover, the productivity of initial solution strategies and prior knowledge significantly predict the efficiency scores in the game, indicating that noticing the structure of the equations plays a significant role in problem-solving. The findings suggest that these visualizations can be used both in research and practice to reveal and unpack our understanding of variability in mathematical problem-solving strategies and cognition. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED625475.]
Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Middle School Students, Problem Solving, Game Based Learning, Algebra, Visual Aids, Grade 6, Grade 7, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. P.O. Box 719, Waynesville, NC 28786. Tel: 828-246-9558; Fax: 828-246-9557; e-mail: info@aace.org; Web site: http://www.aace.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Grade 6; Intermediate Grades; Grade 7
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A180401