How Students Learn Functions in an Integrated Introductory Data Science Module

EasyChair Preprint 15867

Abstract

According to NASEM (2018), data science has foundations in computing, mathematics, and statistics. However, at
the K-12 level, these foundations are usually taught as standalone courses that are unconnected with each other.
Students may struggle to see their connections. We proposed a framework unifying those foundations using
mathematical logic. A core concept in mathematical logic is function. A general function has one or more possibly
non-number inputs and an output. Data science motivates a comprehensive understanding of functions and provides
extensive culturally relevant, real-world, and data-rich problems and applications for students to practice their
understanding. It is interesting to know how well students understand functions. We developed a six-lesson online
module with more than 100 in-lesson questions. Initial analysis of the students’ answers to the questions shows that
students can understand the basics of the general functions but have more difficulties in involved applications of
functions.

Keyphrases: computational thinking, functions, mathematics, statistics

@booklet{EasyChair:15867,
  author    = {Rabab Mohamed and Anupom Mondol and Dexiu Ma and Jie Chao and Kenia Wiedemann and Janet Bih Fofang and Barnas Monteith and Wanli Xing and Linlin Li and Yelee Jo and April Fleetwood and Lodi Lipien and Yuanlin Zhang},
  title     = {How Students Learn Functions in an Integrated Introductory Data Science Module},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 15867},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2025}}