Technology-Enhanced Learning of Geometry in Elementary Schools

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This project will investigate and document how, and in which circumstances, technology-enhanced curricula allow students in grades K-5 to engage in learning challenges and experimentation that support the development and application of important geometric concepts and principles. The project will focus on a related subset of important aspects of geometric thinking: units, patterns, and repetition-the ways that patterns and shapes result from the repetition of units; transformations of shapes; and symmetries as outcomes of particular kinds of compositions and transformations of units. These ideas underlie understanding of many of the topics traditionally taught in elementary geometry and form the basis for understanding of other topics in mathematics, science, and the arts. The technology-enhanced curricula that are the focus of the research include conceptually designed microworlds designed to embody specific mathematical concepts in age-appropriate ways. The research will take place in classroom contexts that integrate several elements individually associated with improved student learning: software-based activities, concrete manipulatives, activities supporting a variety of learning modalities, examples and applications from students' daily lives, and effective instruction by knowledgeable teachers. The outcomes of the research will include documentation of how these classroom environments influence learning of the targeted geometry concepts; how use of the software in particular influences student learning; how the software interacts with other learning activities; and how learning of geometry concepts develops across the K-5 age ranges in technology-enhanced classroom contexts. Student learning outcomes in the research classrooms will be compared to student outcomes in non-participating classrooms and to a national sample of student outcomes. The results of this research will inform future efforts to develop technology-enhanced learning environments and provide insights about changes in pedagogy that may be needed to support effective learning. In addition, the assessment tasks that will be developed as part of the research to measure development of students' geometric understandings will be made available for use as classroom assessment tasks. The project will be a collaboration among investigators from three institutions-Education Development Center (EDC), Inc., University of Wisconsin, and State University of New York at Buffalo-that have been pioneers in research on the development of geometric thinking and in applied research leading to elementary mathematics software and curriculum development. The three partner organizations will work together to develop and implement a coherent research design across all research sites, and will offer the same training and equivalent ongoing support for the 18 participating teachers (6 at each site). Participating schools have the appropriate technical infrastructure, and teachers will be experienced in using technology in classroom instruction. EDC will provide overall management and coordination for the research effort.