Hands On Data: Direct--Manipulation Environments for Data Organization and Analysis

当前课程思维的趋势反映出，人们认识到，使用真实世界的数据可以增加数学和科学研究的丰富性、相关性和具体性。然而，目前学生在数据组织和数据分析方面的能力很差，这表明我们需要一些方法来帮助学生发展数据建模的技能和概念--即设计、收集、组织、解释和批评数据。新的计算技术使一类高度可视化、高度交互的工具成为可能，用于处理“属性数据”，这是一类重要的数据，数据库程序目前是主要的可用工具。这些新工具可以(1)描述分类、顺序和数字数据之间的差异；(2)让学生更直接地与嵌入数据的结构交互；(3)为所有年龄段的学生提供前所未有的分析能力。这个项目追求的是这样一个猜想，即这些工具可以支持学生学习数据建模概念，并为开发许多人现在正在倡导的基于世界环境的探究式数学和科学课程开辟了新的机会。该项目将(1)确定与数据建模有关的概念挑战，(2)开发和测试针对这些挑战的软件设施和教学方法。研究和形成性评估将在临床环境中进行，主要是在中学水平，但也会关注一些年龄较小和年龄较大的学生。

Current trends in curricular thinking reflect the recognition that working with real-world data can add richness, relevance and concreteness to the study of mathematics and the sciences. However, the current poor state of student abilities in data organization and data analysis suggests that we need ways of helping students develop the skills and concepts of data modelling -- that is, designing, collecting, organizing, interpreting and critiquing data. New computing technologies make possible a class of highly visual, highly interactive tools for working with "attribute data, " an important class of data for which database programs are currently the primary available tool. These new tools can (1) portray differences among categorical, ordinal and numerical data; (2) let students interact more direcly with the structures in which the data are embedded; and (3) put unprecedented analytical power at the disposal of students of all ages. This project pursues the conjecture that such tools can support students' learning of data modelling concepts and open up new opportunitites for the development of world-situated, inquiry-based curricula of mathematics and science which so many are noow advocating. This project will (1) identify conceptual challenges relating to data modelling, and (2) develop and test software facilities and pedagogical approaches targeted to these challenges. Research and formative evaluation will be carried ouot in clinical settings, primarily at the middle school level but with some attention to younger and older students.