The authors describe their approach to teaching a course on finite fields and combinatorial applications, including block designs and error-correcting codes, using a hybrid of lectures and active learning. Under the discussed classroom model, there are two lecture days and two discovery-based discussion days each week. Discussions center around…

The School of Engineering of the Polytechnic of Porto (ISEP) has embraced the DrIVE-MATH project, since September 2017. Active-learning (AL) techniques were implemented in several Math courses, namely Linear Algebra and Analytic Geometry, Probability and Statistics, Statistical Models, Computational Mathematics, and Differential and Integral…

We describe here lessons learned in designing an early algebra curriculum to measure early algebra's impact on children's algebra readiness for middle grades. The curriculum was developed to supplement regular mathematics instruction in Grades K-5. Lessons learned centered around the importance of several key factors, including using conceptual…

Background: Poor mathematics performance in South Africa is well known. The COVID-19 pandemic was expected to exacerbate the situation. Aim: To investigate Grade 7 learners' mathematical knowledge at the end of primary school and to compare mathematical performance of Grade 7 and 8 learners in the context of the pandemic. Setting: Data were…

In this case study, we use organizational development and change theory to look at how the University of Oklahoma (OU) has attended to the mathematical pathway leading to STEM fields. Using multiple sources of data, we are able to create an informative narrative that provides the particular context of the situation and in-depth picture of the…

This paper describes a 54-hour summer institute for grades 6-12 mathematics and science teachers (N = 19) with a comprehensive approach to preparing teachers to use computational thinking (CT) in their classrooms, including training in Python computer programming with Lego® Mindstorms® robotics, mathematics content sessions, and opportunities to…

The Economics Across the Curriculum approach encourages the integration of economic concepts into various disciplines. This article features the essence of the approach built on best practices described in the literature. Several creative lesson ideas for teaching about money and inflation are showcased. These lessons were field-tested by high…

In the first chaotic days of the crisis, schools across the United States organized to assemble and distribute instructional materials and to make a rapid transformation from school-based to home-based learning. the impact of this crisis on all students is significant. As districts resume instruction in the upcoming school year, they will not only…

The educational laws establish an organization and a grouping of the contents of the educational system they rule. As far as we know, the set of experts who design it neither follow precise objective criteria nor use computer tools. That is why they are not usually rotund. We consider that defining precise objective criteria is the key to develop…

The exponential increase in the number of cases and number of affected countries of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought significant change in the mode of instruction from face-to-face to distance learning among the different levels of education around the world. This descriptive-developmental method of study adopted the ADDIE…

Open-ended questions that can be solved using different strategies help students learn and integrate content, and provide teachers with greater insights into students' unique capabilities and levels of understanding. This article provides a problem that was modified to allow for multiple approaches. Students tended to employ high-powered, complex,…

With the introduction of "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"), teachers have been called to find meaningful and engaging ways to teach science content while incorporating engineering practices and, to a lesser extent, computing and computational thinking. The task becomes even more complex when they also have to…

The fact that research has shown that fractions are among the most difficult mathematical concepts for elementary school students to master (Behr, Harel, Post, & Lesh, 1992; Bezuk & Cramer, 1989; Moss & Case, 1999) provides a compelling motivation for research and innovation focused on improving the available assessment and…

In the deconstruction of the California state standards for trigonometry, linear algebra and mathematical analysis for the Cal-PASS (California Partnership for Achieving Student Success) Content Standards Deconstruction projects, it became apparent that terms were used for which no definition was given. The San Diego Central Cal-PASS Math…

Using an apparently simple problem, ''Design a cylindrical can that will hold a liter of milk,'' this paper demonstrates how engineering design may facilitate the teaching of the following ideas to secondary students: linear and non-linear relationships; basic geometry of circles, rectangles, and cylinders; unit measures of area and volume;…