Einat Gil | Seminar Hakibbutzim College (original) (raw)
Papers by Einat Gil
FLS is a new theoretical concept and an emergent reality in the landscape of higher education and... more FLS is a new theoretical concept and an emergent reality in the landscape of higher education and schools (Freeman, Becker & Cummins, 2017). It describes the changing educational environments by combining innovative pedagogy and technology. It enables teaching and independent learning while experiencing collaborative, interactive learning and the use of diverse technologies, in which learners can share responsibility for content, technology and space (Hod et al., 2016). Some studies have documented the importance and benefits of teaching and learning in FLS classrooms, such as enhancing learners' interaction with the teacher as facilitator, promoting equitable learning for disadvantaged populations, enhancing learning outcomes, and increasing student satisfaction (Beichner, 2014; Chiu & Cheng, 2017). Baeplar and collogues (2016) suggest three ways by which space is important to teaching and learning. The first serves as "mediator and moderator of instructor and student behavior" (p. 18). The second emphasizes the way the space is being used as a designed activity by the lecturer (e.g. lecture, inquiry-based activity etc.). The third relates to the physical characteristics of the space such as size, layout, colors that instill potential and meaning for how the space might be used.
Understanding Teaching-Learning Practice, 2022
Understanding Teaching-Learning Practice, 2022
British Journal of Educational Technology, 2020
Long-term effects of learning are a desirable outcome of any educational program and are far from... more Long-term effects of learning are a desirable outcome of any educational program and are far from being an obvious result in education. Furthermore, statistical concepts tend to be ambiguous and "short lasting" in students' reasoning, even among tertiary students. In this longitudinal study, long-term impact of teaching and learning was sought among ninth graders, three years after their participation in a three-year intervention (grades 4-6) of the Connections Program. In a mixed methods study, students from two groups-those who have / have not taken part in the programwere closely followed and compared throughout three extended data inquiry activities and took a statistical knowledge and thinking proficiency test. Results and implications are presented.
This paper discusses students ’ evolving statistical reasoning about randomness and sampling in t... more This paper discusses students ’ evolving statistical reasoning about randomness and sampling in the context of inquiry-based activities designed to develop their informal inferential reasoning (IIR). The knowledge of sampling and randomness are key concepts to understanding statistical inference (Garfield & Ben-Zvi, 2008). In the ‘Connections ’ project (Ben-Zvi, Gil & Apel, 2007), sixth grade students were engaged in an inquiry-based learning environment using TinkerPlots (Konold & Miller, 2005) that was designed to develop their IIR. In this design experiment (Brown, 1992; Collins, 1992), the students ’ intuitive concepts of sampling and randomness were used to design instructional activities that nurture the emergence of ideas of random vs. biased sample and inference. This knowledge was later applied by the students to investigate authentic data and draw informal statistical inferences from a random sample to a population. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND In this paper we study the emergen...
The role of context is discussed in the setting of an extended curriculum development and researc... more The role of context is discussed in the setting of an extended curriculum development and research project in primary school designed to develop and study students' reasoning about statistical inference. Qualitative research methods are used to critically dissect the roles of context in the emergence of sixth grade students' informal inferential reasoning (IIR). Context is examined as part of a complex network of themes, such as inquiry, norms, knowledge of statistical concepts and tools, beliefs and expectations, and meaning making and explanations. The paper analyzes and discusses these themes and the role context plays in the emerging inferential reasoning of these students. OVERVIEW In this paper we study the role of context in learning to make Informal Statistical Inferences (ISI), which are probabilistic (non-deterministic) generalizations from data (Makar & Rubin, 2009). We briefly present a case study of a small group of sixth graders (age 12) working within an inqui...
In this paper we report on a study of an innovative curriculum unit in which secondary school stu... more In this paper we report on a study of an innovative curriculum unit in which secondary school students learned about Big Data using real multivariate data with local and global contexts. The unit was designed to promote students’ covariational reasoning and engagement with big data concepts, while experiencing how statistical tools can be used to investigate trends and relationships to make decisions that can positively impact society. Inspired by notions of Classroom of the Future, the program used Interactive Orchestrated Learning Space (IOLS) and knowledge community approaches to create a multi-disciplinary learning environment. Students’ learning was investigated with mixed methods research tools. Findings from this study, including knowledge gains, are presented together with examples of students’ use of covariational reasoning to create arguments for change in a large city.
Statistics Education Research Journal, 2017
In this study, we follow students’ modeling and covariational reasoning in the context of learnin... more In this study, we follow students’ modeling and covariational reasoning in the context of learning about big data. A three-week unit was designed to allow 12th grade students in a mathematics course to explore big and mid-size data using concepts such as trend and scatter to describe the relationships between variables in multivariate settings. Students’ emergent ideas were followed along a varied learning trajectory that included computer-supported collaborative and inquiry-based approaches, using visualization tools and statistical software to explore data and fit a suitable trend, and student presentations of investigations. Findings show progress in some components of students’ reasoning and modeling of covariation, and indicate which features of the unit design might contribute to it.
In this study students engage in learning about Big Data in a Knowledge Community and Inquiry cur... more In this study students engage in learning about Big Data in a Knowledge Community and Inquiry curriculum. Using a design based approach, a three week statistics unit was developed to allow students in a 12 grade mathematics course to explore advanced concepts in Big Data, using interdisciplinary themes. Learning trajectories were guided by an Interactive Orchestrated Learning Space (IOLS), inspired by recent smart classroom and knowledge community approaches (Slotta, 2010; Slotta, Tissenbaum & Lui, 2013).
This paper discusses students’ evolving statistical reasoning about randomness and sampling in th... more This paper discusses students’ evolving statistical reasoning about randomness and sampling in the context of inquiry-based activities designed to develop their informal inferential reasoning (IIR). The knowledge of sampling and randomness are key concepts to understanding statistical inference (Garfield & Ben-Zvi, 2008). In the ‘Connections’ project (Ben-Zvi, Gil & Apel, 2007), sixth grade students were engaged in an inquiry-based learning environment using TinkerPlots (Konold & Miller, 2005) that was designed to develop their IIR. In this design experiment (Brown, 1992; Collins, 1992), the students’ intuitive concepts of sampling and randomness were used to design instructional activities that nurture the emergence of ideas of random vs. biased sample and inference. This knowledge was later applied by the students to investigate authentic data and draw informal statistical inferences from a random sample to a population. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND In this paper we study the emergence ...
This paper presents initial findings from the project PRAQTAL: PRActices for Quality Teaching. Ou... more This paper presents initial findings from the project PRAQTAL: PRActices for Quality Teaching. Our project focuses on conceptualizing and identifying teaching practices for quality teaching of secondary school mathematics and physics. This work is driven by the understanding that to document, conceptualize, analyze and promote quality teaching, we need to constitute a discourse which articulates the diverse practices of teachers, in their multiple resolutions, and link them to educational theories on one hand and specific instruments on the other. For this purpose, we adopted Commognition as a conceptual framework. Here, we present our working definition of a teaching practice and our criteria for quality teaching practices. We discuss the procedures for identifying and documenting practices and their representation and illustrate our arguments with an example from the project’s emerging database.
The contribution of technological tools in the teaching and learning of Exploratory Data Analysis... more The contribution of technological tools in the teaching and learning of Exploratory Data Analysis is widely discussed in the literature. In this paper we examine the manner in which TinkerPlots-an innovative statistical visualization tool-supports the development of informal inferential statistical reasoning among sixth graders. The study is part of the "Connections" project, a three-year development and research program that took place in a primary school in northern Israel. For five weeks, the sixth graders have explored samples that were randomly drawn from a large data base, and inferred about the attributes of the population. The current research analyzes the emergence of three students' informal statistical inferential reasoning in a 63-min statistical inquiry episode. TinkerPlots facilitated changes in the students' inquiry and reasoning processes and supported their informal inferences and argumentation.
The contribution of technological tools in the teaching and learning of Exploratory Data Analysis... more The contribution of technological tools in the teaching and learning of Exploratory Data Analysis is widely discussed in the literature. In this paper we examine the manner in which TinkerPlots-an innovative statistical visualization tool-supports the development of informal inferential statistical reasoning among sixth graders. The study is part of the "Connections" project, a three-year development and research program that took place in a primary school in northern Israel. For five weeks, the sixth graders have explored samples that were randomly drawn from a large data base, and inferred about the attributes of the population. The current research analyzes the emergence of three students' informal statistical inferential reasoning in a 63-min statistical inquiry episode. TinkerPlots facilitated changes in the students' inquiry and reasoning processes and supported their informal inferences and argumentation.
International Statistical Review, 2016
The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, altho... more The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, although its definition tends to vary with the context. Statistical ideas are an essential part of this, and as a partial response, a thematic program on statistical inference, learning, and models in big data was held in 2015 in Canada, under the general direction of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute, with major funding from, and most activities located at, the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. This paper gives an overview of the topics covered, describing challenges and strategies that seem common to many different areas of application, and including some examples of applications to make these challenges and strategies more concrete.
International Statistical Review, 2016
The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, altho... more The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, although its definition tends to vary with the context. Statistical ideas are an essential part of this, and as a partial response, a thematic program on statistical inference, learning, and models in big data was held in 2015 in Canada, under the general direction of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute, with major funding from, and most activities located at, the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. This paper gives an overview of the topics covered, describing challenges and strategies that seem common to many different areas of application, and including some examples of applications to make these challenges and strategies more concrete.
FLS is a new theoretical concept and an emergent reality in the landscape of higher education and... more FLS is a new theoretical concept and an emergent reality in the landscape of higher education and schools (Freeman, Becker & Cummins, 2017). It describes the changing educational environments by combining innovative pedagogy and technology. It enables teaching and independent learning while experiencing collaborative, interactive learning and the use of diverse technologies, in which learners can share responsibility for content, technology and space (Hod et al., 2016). Some studies have documented the importance and benefits of teaching and learning in FLS classrooms, such as enhancing learners' interaction with the teacher as facilitator, promoting equitable learning for disadvantaged populations, enhancing learning outcomes, and increasing student satisfaction (Beichner, 2014; Chiu & Cheng, 2017). Baeplar and collogues (2016) suggest three ways by which space is important to teaching and learning. The first serves as "mediator and moderator of instructor and student behavior" (p. 18). The second emphasizes the way the space is being used as a designed activity by the lecturer (e.g. lecture, inquiry-based activity etc.). The third relates to the physical characteristics of the space such as size, layout, colors that instill potential and meaning for how the space might be used.
Understanding Teaching-Learning Practice, 2022
Understanding Teaching-Learning Practice, 2022
British Journal of Educational Technology, 2020
Long-term effects of learning are a desirable outcome of any educational program and are far from... more Long-term effects of learning are a desirable outcome of any educational program and are far from being an obvious result in education. Furthermore, statistical concepts tend to be ambiguous and "short lasting" in students' reasoning, even among tertiary students. In this longitudinal study, long-term impact of teaching and learning was sought among ninth graders, three years after their participation in a three-year intervention (grades 4-6) of the Connections Program. In a mixed methods study, students from two groups-those who have / have not taken part in the programwere closely followed and compared throughout three extended data inquiry activities and took a statistical knowledge and thinking proficiency test. Results and implications are presented.
This paper discusses students ’ evolving statistical reasoning about randomness and sampling in t... more This paper discusses students ’ evolving statistical reasoning about randomness and sampling in the context of inquiry-based activities designed to develop their informal inferential reasoning (IIR). The knowledge of sampling and randomness are key concepts to understanding statistical inference (Garfield & Ben-Zvi, 2008). In the ‘Connections ’ project (Ben-Zvi, Gil & Apel, 2007), sixth grade students were engaged in an inquiry-based learning environment using TinkerPlots (Konold & Miller, 2005) that was designed to develop their IIR. In this design experiment (Brown, 1992; Collins, 1992), the students ’ intuitive concepts of sampling and randomness were used to design instructional activities that nurture the emergence of ideas of random vs. biased sample and inference. This knowledge was later applied by the students to investigate authentic data and draw informal statistical inferences from a random sample to a population. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND In this paper we study the emergen...
The role of context is discussed in the setting of an extended curriculum development and researc... more The role of context is discussed in the setting of an extended curriculum development and research project in primary school designed to develop and study students' reasoning about statistical inference. Qualitative research methods are used to critically dissect the roles of context in the emergence of sixth grade students' informal inferential reasoning (IIR). Context is examined as part of a complex network of themes, such as inquiry, norms, knowledge of statistical concepts and tools, beliefs and expectations, and meaning making and explanations. The paper analyzes and discusses these themes and the role context plays in the emerging inferential reasoning of these students. OVERVIEW In this paper we study the role of context in learning to make Informal Statistical Inferences (ISI), which are probabilistic (non-deterministic) generalizations from data (Makar & Rubin, 2009). We briefly present a case study of a small group of sixth graders (age 12) working within an inqui...
In this paper we report on a study of an innovative curriculum unit in which secondary school stu... more In this paper we report on a study of an innovative curriculum unit in which secondary school students learned about Big Data using real multivariate data with local and global contexts. The unit was designed to promote students’ covariational reasoning and engagement with big data concepts, while experiencing how statistical tools can be used to investigate trends and relationships to make decisions that can positively impact society. Inspired by notions of Classroom of the Future, the program used Interactive Orchestrated Learning Space (IOLS) and knowledge community approaches to create a multi-disciplinary learning environment. Students’ learning was investigated with mixed methods research tools. Findings from this study, including knowledge gains, are presented together with examples of students’ use of covariational reasoning to create arguments for change in a large city.
Statistics Education Research Journal, 2017
In this study, we follow students’ modeling and covariational reasoning in the context of learnin... more In this study, we follow students’ modeling and covariational reasoning in the context of learning about big data. A three-week unit was designed to allow 12th grade students in a mathematics course to explore big and mid-size data using concepts such as trend and scatter to describe the relationships between variables in multivariate settings. Students’ emergent ideas were followed along a varied learning trajectory that included computer-supported collaborative and inquiry-based approaches, using visualization tools and statistical software to explore data and fit a suitable trend, and student presentations of investigations. Findings show progress in some components of students’ reasoning and modeling of covariation, and indicate which features of the unit design might contribute to it.
In this study students engage in learning about Big Data in a Knowledge Community and Inquiry cur... more In this study students engage in learning about Big Data in a Knowledge Community and Inquiry curriculum. Using a design based approach, a three week statistics unit was developed to allow students in a 12 grade mathematics course to explore advanced concepts in Big Data, using interdisciplinary themes. Learning trajectories were guided by an Interactive Orchestrated Learning Space (IOLS), inspired by recent smart classroom and knowledge community approaches (Slotta, 2010; Slotta, Tissenbaum & Lui, 2013).
This paper discusses students’ evolving statistical reasoning about randomness and sampling in th... more This paper discusses students’ evolving statistical reasoning about randomness and sampling in the context of inquiry-based activities designed to develop their informal inferential reasoning (IIR). The knowledge of sampling and randomness are key concepts to understanding statistical inference (Garfield & Ben-Zvi, 2008). In the ‘Connections’ project (Ben-Zvi, Gil & Apel, 2007), sixth grade students were engaged in an inquiry-based learning environment using TinkerPlots (Konold & Miller, 2005) that was designed to develop their IIR. In this design experiment (Brown, 1992; Collins, 1992), the students’ intuitive concepts of sampling and randomness were used to design instructional activities that nurture the emergence of ideas of random vs. biased sample and inference. This knowledge was later applied by the students to investigate authentic data and draw informal statistical inferences from a random sample to a population. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND In this paper we study the emergence ...
This paper presents initial findings from the project PRAQTAL: PRActices for Quality Teaching. Ou... more This paper presents initial findings from the project PRAQTAL: PRActices for Quality Teaching. Our project focuses on conceptualizing and identifying teaching practices for quality teaching of secondary school mathematics and physics. This work is driven by the understanding that to document, conceptualize, analyze and promote quality teaching, we need to constitute a discourse which articulates the diverse practices of teachers, in their multiple resolutions, and link them to educational theories on one hand and specific instruments on the other. For this purpose, we adopted Commognition as a conceptual framework. Here, we present our working definition of a teaching practice and our criteria for quality teaching practices. We discuss the procedures for identifying and documenting practices and their representation and illustrate our arguments with an example from the project’s emerging database.
The contribution of technological tools in the teaching and learning of Exploratory Data Analysis... more The contribution of technological tools in the teaching and learning of Exploratory Data Analysis is widely discussed in the literature. In this paper we examine the manner in which TinkerPlots-an innovative statistical visualization tool-supports the development of informal inferential statistical reasoning among sixth graders. The study is part of the "Connections" project, a three-year development and research program that took place in a primary school in northern Israel. For five weeks, the sixth graders have explored samples that were randomly drawn from a large data base, and inferred about the attributes of the population. The current research analyzes the emergence of three students' informal statistical inferential reasoning in a 63-min statistical inquiry episode. TinkerPlots facilitated changes in the students' inquiry and reasoning processes and supported their informal inferences and argumentation.
The contribution of technological tools in the teaching and learning of Exploratory Data Analysis... more The contribution of technological tools in the teaching and learning of Exploratory Data Analysis is widely discussed in the literature. In this paper we examine the manner in which TinkerPlots-an innovative statistical visualization tool-supports the development of informal inferential statistical reasoning among sixth graders. The study is part of the "Connections" project, a three-year development and research program that took place in a primary school in northern Israel. For five weeks, the sixth graders have explored samples that were randomly drawn from a large data base, and inferred about the attributes of the population. The current research analyzes the emergence of three students' informal statistical inferential reasoning in a 63-min statistical inquiry episode. TinkerPlots facilitated changes in the students' inquiry and reasoning processes and supported their informal inferences and argumentation.
International Statistical Review, 2016
The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, altho... more The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, although its definition tends to vary with the context. Statistical ideas are an essential part of this, and as a partial response, a thematic program on statistical inference, learning, and models in big data was held in 2015 in Canada, under the general direction of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute, with major funding from, and most activities located at, the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. This paper gives an overview of the topics covered, describing challenges and strategies that seem common to many different areas of application, and including some examples of applications to make these challenges and strategies more concrete.
International Statistical Review, 2016
The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, altho... more The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, although its definition tends to vary with the context. Statistical ideas are an essential part of this, and as a partial response, a thematic program on statistical inference, learning, and models in big data was held in 2015 in Canada, under the general direction of the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute, with major funding from, and most activities located at, the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. This paper gives an overview of the topics covered, describing challenges and strategies that seem common to many different areas of application, and including some examples of applications to make these challenges and strategies more concrete.