IAE Blog

James T. Fey (Jim Fey) is a national leader in math education. I first got to know him more than 30 years ago through his research and development work on use of computers in elementary school mathematics. There he explored how computers can be used to make significant changes in the math curriculum.

As an example, think about the math knowledge and skills in decimal arithmetic, percentages, angles, and the use of a protractor and compass needed to create pie charts. A couple of years before students acquire such knowledge and skills in the traditional grade school curriculum, they can create and use pie charts with the help of computers. The key idea is that they can make use of their vision abilities (their “mind’s eye”) in understanding pie charts, and creating them on a computer, before they have developed the math knowledge and skills to create them using “by hand” methods. Jim Fey referred to this specific visual math approach to curriculum change as an inverted curriculum.

You are probably aware of the movement toward online assessment in education. The Common Core State Standards initiative includes a strong focus on Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). Learn more about CCSS at Moursund & Sylwester (2013).

The earliest Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL) systems included assessment features. In the very simplest CAL, learners answered T/F or multiple-choice questions. The computer provided feedback on correct and incorrect answers, and a cumulative record of a student’s performance.

I have struggled with developing an appropriate title for this IAE Blog entry. That is because I am trying to join together ideas from two excellent but quite different articles. 

Whoriskey, P. (4/3/2011). Requiring Algebra II in high school gains momentum nationwide. The Washington Post. Retrieved 4/6 2011 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/requiring_algebra_ii_in_high_school_gains_momentum_nationwide/2011/04/01/AF7FBWXC_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage.

I frequently read articles about the fact that in the United States more men than women major in Computer and Information Science. This is portrayed as a significant problem, and the articles typically give suggestions for and/or examples of possible “solutions” to the problem. Here is an example that I encountered today:

Hanion, J. (1/10/2011). Computing science rewriting the program to get girls in the game. University of Alberta. Retrieved 2/12/2011 from http://www.expressnews.ualberta.ca/en/NewsArticles/2011/02/Computingsciencerewritingtheprogramtogetgirlsinthegame.aspx.