Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 09:28:37 -0500
Reply-To: "Granaas, Michael" <Michael.Granaas@USD.EDU>
Sender: "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: "Granaas, Michael" <Michael.Granaas@USD.EDU>
Subject: Re: high school math education using SPSS?
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There is little or no research on the use of SPSS, or other statistics packages, on educational outcomes. There are strongly held opinions on both sides of the issue.
I am strongly on the "don't" side of the issue when it comes to the college level intro to statistics course. It is not clear how broadly your friend is interested in applying SPSS to the curriculum, but I cannot imagine anything outside of statistics where you would even want to consider a statistics package.
The big question is what form of student understanding is going to be enhanced by use of an automated tool? Certainly the switch from a manual to power screwdriver does not change our understanding of how screws work and why they are used. But with mathematics the tool can effectively hide the process and meaning of a proceedure from the user--making use of the procedure even more of a magical incantation than it already seems to most students.
I know folks have been working on tools that are designed to supplement hand calculations in a way that should foster student learning. I've not used any myself, but at least some of them have promise. Again, no research.
The only research that I am aware of is for children working with manipulatives...and I only have a secondary reference, the research is still under review:
Amaya, M. M., Uttal, D. H., & DeLoache, J. S. Procedural knowledge in two-digit subtraction: Comparing concrete and abstract. Manuscript submitted for publication.
A link to the referencing article: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=1989
Michael
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Michael Granaas mgranaas@usd.edu
Assoc. Prof. Phone: 605 677 5295
Dept. of Psychology FAX: 605 677 3195
University of South Dakota
414 E. Clark St.
Vermillion, SD 57069
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-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion on behalf of Ed Dunbar
Sent: Thu 6/8/06 11:46 PM
To: SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: high school math education using SPSS?
Dear List members,
I am asking for a friend who teaches advanced ("AP") math in a local
high school here in Los Angeles about resources on the use of SPSS in
advanced high shcool math curriculum. Does anyone have any citations or
references on this?
Thanks,
Ed Dunbar
Dept. of Psychology
