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2013 Conference Proceedings - University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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LEARNING MATHEMATICS IN THE 21 ST CENTURY: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’INTERACTIONS WHILE LEARNING MATHEMATICS ONLINECherie IchinoseCalifornia State <strong>University</strong> Fullertoncichinose@fullerton.eduWhen choosing online learning, educators and administrators are no longer limited in providingthe most effective learning environment for their students. This study provides evidence <strong>of</strong> thepower <strong>of</strong> online interactions when learning mathematics. This study showed algebra and prealgebrastudents benefited most from the synchronous, live interactions through webconferencing.Students were able to ask their questions in real-time, thereby fostering deeperrelationships with their teacher. More advanced students preferred the asynchronous (any-time)environment for learning mathematics as shown through the increased collaborativeparticipation through the online discussion boards.In the new age <strong>of</strong> education, parents are able to explore different learning environments fortheir children. The North American Council for Online Learning (NOCAL) reported that, as <strong>of</strong>the end <strong>of</strong> 2006, there were 38 state-led online learning programs educating approximately65,000 children (Watson, 2007). A more recent report published by the Sloan Consortiumestimated the number <strong>of</strong> K-12 students engaged in some kind <strong>of</strong> online course in 2007-2008 atover one million (Picciano & Seaman, 2009).NOCAL reports one <strong>of</strong> the top ten myths with online learning is the perceived lack <strong>of</strong>interaction that occurs (2007). Students and teachers typically report an increased level <strong>of</strong>interaction with the content and rich one-on-one interactions with each other (Learning, 2007). InLearning in the 21 st Century: 2010 Trends update, students reported they received more attentionfrom their teachers and were more comfortable asking questions online than in the traditionalsetting (Tomorrow, 2010). These separate physical interactions take on different modalities,however, and can be divided into two categories: synchronous and asynchronous.Theoretical FrameworkWith most online courses, students can log into their courses at any time (asynchronously)and engage with the content through a learning management system. Asynchronous interactionsinclude engaging with online learning modules and working with flash or multi-media activities.Students no longer passively read through mathematical content, but interact with it by linkingvisual and symbolic mathematical representations through guided simulations that lead to stepby-stepsupport <strong>of</strong> mathematical processes and immediate feedback (Snelson, 2002; Suh &<strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>of</strong> the 40 th Annual Meeting <strong>of</strong> the Research Council on Mathematics Learning <strong>2013</strong> 163

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