Computer Modeling in Algebra
This NSF-funded project has focused on developing high-impact approaches to the integration of modeling and computer programming experiences into typical algebra courses. The project pursues four main goals:
- to effectively integrate modeling and computer programming into project-based lessons on linear functions,
- to prepare teachers to implement the lessons as part of their regular teaching in a classroom setting,
- to assess the effect of the lessons on learners’ understanding of functions, persistence and confidence in problem-solving, and willingness to tackle open-ended tasks, and
- to enhance students’ engagement in mathematics, computer science, and related fields, particularly among students from groups underrepresented in STEM and computer science.
The professional development experiences at the heart of the project focus on engaging teachers as partners in research. Through two summer institutes and ongoing partnership with the research team, teachers deepened their knowledge of core CT practices and dispositions and examined how these could be activated through project-based lessons co-developed with the research team. These lessons offered a focus on realistic problems, student control over learning, teachers as guides of inquiry and reflection, and opportunities for meaningful peer-to-peer interaction.
Through strategic curricular design, transformative teacher training, and close attention to student experiences and learning outcomes in traditional classroom settings, the project paves the way for further integration of computer science into secondary mathematics to broaden the pipeline of students prepared for STEM+C careers.