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Block-based coding is a way to teach Computer Science (CS) concepts and Computational Thinking (CT) skills to K-12 students. Nowadays, there are more and more educational applications (learning apps) to teach programming in STEM subjects, but detailed studies on which and how these can be used successfully in Biology classes are still lacking, because apps and tasks promoting CS and CT concepts in combination with biological teaching content are missing. This mixed-method study aims to close this gap and presents six elaborated exercises of the workshop “Easy Coding in Biology”, employing two task formats (TF), Building Cubes and Drone AR, of the new learning app . The app utilizes block-based coding and an additional augmented reality (AR) function to describe several topics in secondary education, for example in the subject Biology. After presenting the workshop and task design, preliminary results of the successful use of the app and the tasks are presented. The pilot workshop was carried out with 51 participants at a Slovakian grammar school. After the implementation in class, 34 students filled in a questionnaire, consisting of open-ended and closed-ended questions. Qualitative data shows on the one hand AR malfunctions and on the other that participants liked the workshop concept. Quantitative findings indicate that the introduced TF Building Cubes and Drone AR of have the potential to successfully convey CS and CT concepts in Biology. In addition, the tasks encouraged the female participants in particular to work together because they found the tasks/app interesting, motivating, and fun.

The purpose of this study is to explore how MathCityMap training for teachers can be designed and implemented in a hybrid setting. Design research has been carried out involving teachers from 34 provinces in Indonesia. A four-day model training program for indoor and outdoor activities in a hybrid setting has been designed. The core concept of designing modeling tasks and math trails, as well as the introduction to MathCityMap, were delivered in a hybrid mode between Indonesia and Germany. The activity continued with the development of MathCityMap Trails in city parks. Post-training activities were conducted in their respective places of origin, in schools, and in city parks. Participants have successfully designed trails in both their schools and the city parks where they live supported using Learning Management System. The findings of the MathCityMap team's review indicate that most of the trails fulfilled the requirements. The trainee teachers then disseminate their knowledge and experience to their colleagues. They also used MathCityMap Trails for classroom learning as well as other activities such as MathCityMap competitions and public educational activities. The hybrid environment helps to accelerate the attainment of training objectives while also broadening the program's reach and network.

Mathematical arguments are central components of mathematics and play a role in certain types of modelling of potential mathematical giftedness. However, particular characteristics of arguments are interpreted differently in the context of mathematical giftedness. Some models of giftedness see no connection, whereas other models consider the formulation of complete and plausible arguments as a partial aspect of giftedness. Furthermore, longitudinal changes in argumentation characteristics remain open. This leads to the research focus of this article, which is to identify and describe the changes of argumentation products in potentially mathematically gifted children over a longer period. For this purpose, the argumentation products of children from third to sixth grade are collected throughout a longitudinal study and examined with respect to the use of examples and generalizations. The analysis of all products results in six different types of changes in the characteristics of the argumentation products identified over the survey period and case studies are used to illustrate student use of examples and generalizations of these types. This not only reveals the general importance of the use of examples in arguments. For one type, an increase in generalized arguments can be observed over the survey period. The article will conclude with a discussion of the role of argument characteristics in describing potential mathematical giftedness.

Mathematical modelling addresses numerous demands of modern mathematics education: The learning of mathematics is directly linked to reality and hence to real objects. At the same time, these tasks are very challenging for students, especially when their own solution process needs to be validated and refined. Studies even show that some students do not validate their results at all. Recent research has shown that digital tools can enhance the support of modelling activities in different ways. In this paper, we take the modelling step of validation into a deeper account and explore the potential of MathCityMap, a digital tool for outdoor mathematics education. Hereby, its automatic solution validation by means of a predefined interval and assessment of the result’s quality are taken into consideration. The modelling activities of secondary school students are compared on a quantitative and qualitative level – half of the students working with the MathCityMap app and half of them solving the tasks without any digital support. Based on the quantitative results, we can see that the app functionalities for elaborative feedback are used to varying degrees: While student groups frequently access the hints, the sample solution is hardly accessed. Moreover, our analysis can show the value of corrective app feedback. Student groups that used the app solved a comparable number of problems, but failed significantly less often than student groups that worked on math trails without the app. The qualitative results show that in particular the solution validation forces the students to proceed with a second run in the modelling cycle if a result is valued as wrong in the app. In addition, it helps the students to assess their own result in terms of its correctness. Based on the combined results, we draw conclusions about the app usage in mathematical modelling tasks.

Geometry is part of the core of mathematics. It has been relevant ever since people have interacted with nature and its phenomena. Geometry’s relevance to the teaching and learning of mathematics can be emphasized, too. Nevertheless, a current potential shift in the topics of mathematics education to the detriment of geometry might be emerging. That is, other topics related to mathematics are seeming to grow in importance in comparison to geometry. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, geometry is an important component of current research in mathematics education. In the literature review, we elaborate relevant foci on the basis of current conference proceedings. By means of about 50 journal articles, five main topics are elaborated in more detail: geometric thinking and practices, geometric contents and topics, teacher education in geometry, argumentation and proof in geometry, as well as the use of digital tools for the teaching and learning of geometry. Conclusions and limitations for current and future research on geometry are formulated at the end of the article. In particular, the transfer to the practices of geometric teaching is explored on the basis of the elaborated research findings in order to combine both aspects of the teaching and learning of geometry.

The aim of this study is to investigate how an augmented reality mobile math trails program can provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful mathematical modelling activities. An explorative research design was conducted involving two mathematics teachers and 30 eight grades in Semarang, Indonesia. An Augmented Reality Mobile Math Trails App was created, and several math trail tasks were designed, then students run the activity. Data were gathered by means of participatory observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and worksheets. Data analysis began with the organisation, annotation, description of the data and statistic tests. The findings indicate that an educational program was successfully designed, which offered students a meaningful mathematical experience. A mobile app was also developed to support this program. The mobile app with augmented reality features is helpful for students as a tool that bridges the gap between real-world situations and mathematical concepts in problem-solving following the mathematical modelling cycle. The program thus contributes to a higher ability in mathematical modelling. The study identified a link between instrumented techniques in programs and mathematical modelling, as built during the instrumentation process. Further studies are essential for project development and implementation in other cities with different situations and aspects of study.

Tasks are a key resource in the process of teaching and learning mathematics, which is why task design continues to be one of the main research issues in mathematics education. Different settings can influence the principles underlying the formulation of tasks, and so does the outdoor context. Specifically, a math trail can be a privileged context, known to promote positive attitudes and additional engagement for the learning of mathematics, confronting students with a sequence of real-life tasks, related to a particular mathematical theme. Recently, mobile devices and apps, i.e., MathCityMap, have been recognized as an important resource to facilitate the extension of the classroom to the outdoors. The study reported in this paper intends to identify the principles of design for mobile theme-based math trails (TBT) that result in rich learning experiences in early algebraic thinking. A designed-based research is used, through a qualitative approach, to develop and refine design principles for TBT about Sequences and Patterns. The iterative approach is described by cycles with the intervention of the researchers, pre-service and in-service teachers and students of the targeted school levels. The results are discussed taking into account previous research and data collected along the cycles, conducing to the development of general design principles for TBT tasks.

The COVID-19-induced distance education was perceived as highly challenging by teachers and students. A cross-national comparison of five European countries identified several challenges occurred during the distance learning period. On this basis, the article aims to develop a theoretical framework and design requirements for distance and online learning tools. As one example for online learning in mathematics education, the ASYMPTOTE system is introduced. It will be freely available by May 2022. ASYMPTOTE is aimed at the adaptive and synchronous delivery of online education by taking a mobile learning approach. Its core is the so-called digital classroom, which not only allows students to interact with each other or with the teacher but also enables teachers to monitor their students’ work progress in real time. With respect to the theoretical framework, this article analyses to what extent the ASYMPTOTE system meets the requirements of online learning. Overall, the digital classroom can be seen as a promising tool for teachers to carry out appropriate formative assessment and—partly—to maintain personal and content-related interaction at a distance. Moreover, we highlight the availability of this tool. Due to its mobile learning approach, almost all students will be able to participate in lessons conducted with ASYMPTOTE.

In this paper, we examine the impact of a massive open online course (MOOC) in the context of outdoor mathematics on the participating teachers’ professional development. We firstly introduce the theoretical background on outdoor mathematics, focusing on math trails with the digital tool MathCityMap and professional development to be accomplished using MOOCs. By taking into account the MOOC “Task Design for Math Trails”, with 93 finalists, we analyze the learning progress of 19 selected case studies from different nations and learning levels by taking into account their answers in a pre- and post-questionnaire and their posts on a specific communication message board, with a special focus on the MOOC’s topics’ task design for outdoor mathematics and the digital tool MathCityMap. The analysis is performed using different quantitative and qualitative approaches. The results show that the teachers studied have benefited from professional development, which is evident in the expansion/evolution of their knowledge from a content, pedagogical, and technological perspective. Finally, we formulate consequences for professional development in STEM education, and conclude the paper with limitations to be drawn and a perspective for further research.

Mobile Math Trails for Europe (MoMaTrE) is an ongoing project to conceptualize and develop a fully gamified platform for creating, organizing and executing mathematics trails. We present some early experimental results of an empirical study from Frankfurt am Main with 218 pupils concerning the introduction of shallow gamification techniques in the platform. The study was based on the self-determination theory and therefore the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was used. First results are mostly in line with other findings of the previous research literature, but also some interesting effects could be shown. The article concludes with a discussion of our plans for adding other (deeper) gamification elements.

In 2020, Germany and Spain experienced lockdowns of their school systems. This resulted in a new challenge for learners and teachers: lessons moved from the classroom to the children’s homes. Therefore, teachers had to set rules, implement procedures and make didactical–methodical decisions regarding how to handle this new situation. In this paper, we focus on the roles of mathematics teachers in Germany and Spain. The article first describes how mathematics lessons were conducted using distance learning. Second, problems encountered throughout this process were examined. Third, teachers drew conclusions from their mathematics teaching experiences during distance learning. To address these research interests, a questionnaire was answered by N = 248 teachers (N1 = 171 German teachers; N2 = 77 Spanish teachers). Resulting from a mixed methods approach, differences between the countries can be observed, e.g., German teachers conducted more lessons asynchronously. In contrast, Spanish teachers used synchronous teaching more frequently, but still regard the lack of personal contact as a main challenge. Finally, for both countries, the digitization of mathematics lessons seems to have been normalized by the pandemic.

Due to its links to computer science (CS), teaching computational thinking (CT) often involves the handling of algorithms in activities, such as their implementation or analysis. Although there already exists a wide variety of different tasks for various learning environments in the area of computer science, there is less material available for CT. In this article, we propose so-called Generic Tasks for algorithms inspired by common programming tasks from CS education. Generic Tasks can be seen as a family of tasks with a common underlying structure, format, and aim, and can serve as best-practice examples. They thus bring many advantages, such as facilitating the process of creating new content and supporting asynchronous teaching formats. The Generic Tasks that we propose were evaluated by 14 experts in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Apart from a general estimation in regard to the meaningfulness of the proposed tasks, the experts also rated which and how strongly six core CT skills are addressed by the tasks. We conclude that, even though the experts consider the tasks to be meaningful, not all CT-related skills can be specifically addressed. It is thus important to define additional tasks for CT that are detached from algorithms and programming.

Two month-long expeditions to Guaratuba Bay in the southern Atlantic Forest of Brazil were conducted in 2006. Parameters calculated from vestiges and camera-trap sampling were mammalian richness and proportion of area occupied (PAO) by jaguar, puma, and opportunistically, by ocelot. Eight quadrats 4km2 in size were sampled, over an area of 130km2, where fourteen species of mammals were recorded (CI(Nˆ )=14 to 14, CAPTURE). PAO was 25% for puma, and 100% for both jaguar and ocelot. It is argued that jaguar was expected to have capture probabilities similar to those of puma, as they both leave signs on open trails when present. The resulting PAO for jaguar is thus likely to be an artifact derived from low area substantiated by the reduced presence of important prey species in many of the sampling quadrats. The results do not diminish the importance of the study site for jaguar conservation; instead, these observations objectively identify the need to restore prey populations in the area.

Duas expedições de um mês cada foram conduzidas à Baía de Guaratuba, na Floresta Atlântica do sul do Brasil, em 2006. Parâmetros calculados a partir de amostragem de vestígios e armadilhas-fotográficas foram riqueza de espécies de mamíferos (1kg) e proporção de área ocupada(PAO) por onça-pintada, puma, e oportunisticamente, por jaguatirica. Oito qua- drantes de 4km2 foram amostrados, em uma área de 130km2, resultando em uma estimativa de 14 espécies de mamíferos (CI(Nˆ)=14 a 14, CAPTURE). PAO resultou em 25% para puma, e 100% tanto para a onça-pintada como para a jaguatirica. Argumenta-se que o esperado seria uma probabilidade de captura da onça-pintada similar a do puma, já que ambos deixam sinais em trilhas abertas quando presentes. O resultado de PAO para a onça-pintada é, portanto, considerado um artefato derivado de uma baixa fi delidade espacial e/ou baixa densidade, mais do que um produto da baixa detectabilidade da espécie. Esta conjectura é substanciada pela reduzida presença de importantes espécies-presa.Os resultados não diminuem a importância da área para a conservação da onça-pintada, ao invés disto, estas observações objetivamente identificam a necessidade de restabelecimento de populações de espécies-presa na área.

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Infectious disease physicians in England have been diagnosing and managing occasional cases of viral hemorrhagic fever since 1971, including the United Kingdom's first case of Ebola virus disease in 1976. Specialist isolation facilities to provide safe and effective care have been present since that time. Following the emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, and the avian influenza A (H7N9) outbreak in 2013, and the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa, clinical and public health preparedness and response pathways in England have been strengthened for these types of diseases, now called high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs). The HCID program, led by NHS England and Public Health England between 2016 and 2018, helped to deliver these enhancements, which have since been used on multiple occasions for new UK cases and outbreaks of MERS, mpox, avian influenza, and Lassa fever. Additionally, HCID pathways were activated for COVID-19 during the first 3 months of 2020, before the pandemic had been declared and little was known about COVID-19 but HCID status had been assigned temporarily to COVID-19 as a precaution. The HCID program also led to the commissioning of a network of new airborne HCID treatment centers in England, to supplement the existing network of contact HCID treatment centers, which includes the United Kingdom's only 2 high-level isolation units. In this case study, the authors describe the airborne and contact HCID treatment center networks in England, including their formation and structures, their approach to safe and effective clinical management of patients with HCIDs in the United Kingdom, and challenges they may face going forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]