Video in the Middle: Flexible Digital Experiences for Mathematics Teacher Education

This work focuses on a practical problem in mathematics education; supporting teacher professional development for algebra teaching. The project will design and develop a web-based form of professional development and teacher education for learning and teaching algebra in middle school.

Full Description

This work focuses on a practical problem in mathematics education; supporting teacher professional development for algebra teaching. The project will design and develop a web-based form of professional development and teacher education for learning and teaching algebra in middle school. The project is a 4-year Design and Development project within the Teaching Strand. Forty modules are planned that will provide focus and structure to an online professional development experience. These modules follow an explicit learning trajectory in which a video clip is used in the middle of an online teacher learning experience composed of mathematical problem solving, video analysis of classroom practice, and pedagogical reflection. Within each module activity, a teacher experiences a consistent set of activities. Before and after teachers watch each video clip, they engage in activities designed to immerse them deeply in both the mathematics content and the focal instructional components. The study has the potential to advance the knowledge of the use of educational data mining into the research and development of teacher education materials. In researching both the design and impact of the materials this project may offer implications for others interested in designing online professional development and teacher education materials.

The professional development is rooted in refining and consistently examining best practices in developing the teacher materials. The study investigates the design and impact of the materials which can support others who are interested in designing digital professional development. The project will employ the use of data analytics to discover what video-based modules users choose to use first, the sequence in which they use the modules, and the modules they don't choose. The modules will include three delivery formats to meet the variety of teacher learning needs (individual self-paced, group-paced, facilitated/structured course) and offer flexible pathways and sequences of multiple modules for professional development providers and teacher educators to use in their own contexts. Moreover, the project includes a plan to make the modules available through open access for professional developers and educators. The project contains a robust plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the professional development. In Year 3, a randomized controlled trial pilot efficacy study is planned to address the impact of teachers' participation in the group-paced delivery and facilitated course form format on their mathematics knowledge for teaching and teaching practice as well as the overall impact on their students' performance. The project has a strong focus on the practical problem of supporting teachers' knowledge of linear functions, expressions, and equations as well as how various representations are connected and linked.


Project Videos

2022 STEM for All Video Showcase

Title: Video in the Middle: Asynchronous Online Mathematics PD

Presenter(s): Angela Knotts, Cathy Carroll, & Nanette Seago

2019 STEM for All Video Showcase

Title: Video in the Middle Online Mathematics PD

Presenter(s): Nanette Seago, Cathy Carroll, Elizabeth Dyer, & Angela Knotts


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Project Materials