This naturalistic case study investigates the problem posing patterns that emerge as four small groups of 12 year old students in Western Canada work collectively on a structured mathematics task. A method of data analysis is introduced that blurs the data to create transcript "tapestries" providing visual evidence of collective patterns…

In Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), struggling learners often seek help by posting questions in discussion forums. Unfortunately, given the large volume of discussion in MOOCs, instructors may overlook these learners' posts, detrimentally impacting the learning process and exacerbating attrition. In this paper, we present YouEDU, an…

We used the Multicultural Mathematics Dispositions (MCMD) framework to analyze preservice teachers' (PSTs) dispositions to teach diverse student populations during a cultural awareness unit in a mathematics methods course. The framework is defined as a function of three constructs: openness, self-awareness/self-reflectiveness, and commitment to…

This paper was developed at the request of the Organising Committee for the 27th Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation International Conference, in Melbourne, 2013. Its genesis was as a feature forum, wherein a panel of curriculum experts were bought together to discuss the emergence of the Australian Health and Physical…

We present a case study that has been developed to inform about the teaching activity of a secondary mathematics teacher in a whole group discussion and the mathematical learning opportunities generated for the students in this classroom context. For data of one lesson we determine the episodes that shape the whole group discussion. For each…

The following is a report of aspects of a project that is exploring the implementation of mathematically challenging tasks and ways of supporting teachers to facilitate effective lessons. Teacher participants indicate that the three-part lesson structure proposed for implementation is valuable. However, they continue to describe the summary phase…

We report on some results from a multiyear development of new techniques and materials for teaching linear algebra. Our goals were to (a) to create a professional learning community across STEM disciplines, (b) to combine expertise in content and pedagogy in designing effective instructional practice, and (c) to use learning theories to support…

The authors present an analysis of facilitation across three cohorts of a phase-two professional development project. Four types of discourse are introduced and defined (correcting, eliciting, probing, and responsive). The analysis attends to implementation fidelity and facilitator moves in light of these four types of discourse. Conjectures about…

The case study reported here examined three scaffolding practices employed by two teachers in two Year 5 and 6 mathematics classrooms. One scaffolding practice was the use of discussion. This paper describes the use of whole class discussions as scaffolding, drawing upon observations of six mathematics lessons in each classroom and the responses…

The purpose of this study was to research the effect of the rubric on the level of learners' cognitive engagement and to explore the effectiveness of Web-based concurrent discussions experienced by learners. The participants were 20 undergraduate students of D Women's University and they were divided into six groups for concurrent discussions in…

Underrepresented (UR) students face barriers to help-seeking in traditional classrooms. We predicted these barriers would be ameliorated online. We analyzed online course discussion boards and found UR students asked for help more often than non-UR students and women were more likely than men to ask for help explicitly at least once. Furthermore,…

Focused conversation is an approach used to lead group inquiry into topics of concern or interest. Four levels of questions guide participants through objective, reflective, interpretive and decisional levels of conversation. Over the past several years focused conversation was adopted in Australia to facilitate National Quality Framework related…

For three months, Japanese university learners (N=40) utilized the YoTeach! application by Pedagogic and Active Learning Mobile Solutions (PALMS) Project, PolyU as a part of their English discussion class. Researchers re-purposed the application, which originally was designed to be an online classroom backchannel, as an asynchronous, pre-task…

Adolescents increasingly use online, peer-to-peer platforms as a site of identity exploration and development. Prior research suggests that experiences online can foster feelings of connection and belonging, as well as promote a willingness to engage in self-disclosure during a critical developmental period; however, only recently has research…

Understanding the affect expressed by learners is essential for enriching the learning experience in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). However, online learning environments, especially MOOCs, pose several challenges in understanding the different types of affect experienced by a learner. In this paper, we define two categories of emotions,…