• School Mathematics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.411-433
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• 2004

Many researchers have reported that 7th graders have severe difficulties in using letters and algebraic expressions. This study investigated the way Microsoft Excel contributes to student's understanding of letters and algebraic expressions. For six hours through two weeks, four 7th grade students experienced various activities with Excel after school and both before and after the experimentation, the interviews to check their understanding was conducted. The results were as follows; First, after the experimentation, students used various letters to express formulas and recognized that letters represent not only some objects but also changing objects. Also they accepted that same objects could be represented by different letters and different objects could be represented by the same letters. Second, Excel improved students' abilities to discriminate variables and invariables in the problem and to find mathematical relationships among variables. And with Excel students could divide the whole calculation procedure into several steps in order to handle it more easily. Also, Excel made immediate numerical feedback possible and it made students express the calculation in a more formalized way than a paper and pencil environment did.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.439-452
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• 1998

In this Study, I concerned the learning-teaching of the use of letters in algebra. Our Study can be summarized as follows; First, I tried to establish the theoretical Foundation necessary for the learning-teaching of the use of letters in literal expressions. Second, I made a course of study that leads to the understanding of the meaning and the use f literals in algebraic expressions. Third, Based on this course of study, I held classes on First-grade students in middle school and I carried on an investigation their understanding of the meaning and the use of literals in algebraic expressions. Finally, I made an analysis of findings in this investigation and identified student's a better understanding of the meaning and the use of literals in algebraic expressions.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.254-259
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• 2012

Infections involving Echinostoma hortense (E. hortense) are considered to more severe than infections caused by other heterophyids. Although parasite expulsion by host immune responses attenuates the symptoms of infection, the detailed mechanisms of the host immune response need to be determined, especially in local immune responses involving cytokine and immunoglobulin expressions. We infected BALB/c mice with E. hortense and examined recovery rates together with expressions of multiple cytokines and immunoglobulins in the villi and crypts of the small intestine using immunohistochemistry. We observed a close correlation between worm expulsion rates and cytokine/immunoglobulin expressions in E. hortense infected mice. This study contributes to an understanding of the relationship between the immune response and parasite expulsion in hosts.

• School Mathematics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.139-154
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• 2008

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how sixth grade elementary school students react to the types of letters use, what levels of understanding letters students are in and what difficulties are in understanding letters, and to raise issues about instructional methods of algebra. A descriptive study through pencil-and- paper tests was conducted. The test instruments consisted of 18 questions with 6 types of letters use. According to the results of testing, students' types of letter use and the levels of understanding letters were classified. The conclusions from the results of this study were as follows: First, the higher the types of letters use, the more sixth grade elementary school students had low scores on the types. Therefore, teaching methodologies of letters and expressions in the classroom need to encourage for students to improve their ability of using and understanding letter. Second, approximately 40% of students were categorized in level 3. Accordingly it is necessary to have a program of teaching and learning to improve their understanding levels of letters. Third, approximately 15% of students were categorized in level 0. In order to develop understanding of letters, it is important that students use letter evaluated and letter used as an object. Fourth, students had the difficulties in understanding letters. It is informative for teachers to understand these students' difficulties and thinking processes. Finally, we must treat the different uses of letters and introduce them successively according to the student's understanding levels of letters.

• School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.59-76
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• 2003

Algebraic signs are important on learning and problem solving of algebra. This study investigated the contents of letters and expressions in textbooks by syntactics, semantics and pragmatics, and considered the introduction and extension processes of algebraic signs didactically. We also categorized the signs, and looked into textbook problems in view of semiotic. The result is that textbook is constructed in syntactics and semantics. Finally, the assessment of 7th grade students' competence in syntactics, semantics, syntactics+- semantics, pragmatics, and problem solving shows that students' ability in syntactics and pragmatics Is a predictive variable for algebraic problem solving.

• School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.477-506
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• 2003

In this paper, we analyze nine-grade students' conceptions of parameters, their relation to unknowns and variables and the process of understanding of letters in problem solving of equations and functions. The roles of letters become different according to the letters-used contexts and the meaning of letters Is changed in the process of being used. But, students do not understand the meaning of letters correctly, especially that of parameter. As a result, students operate letters in algebraic expressions according to the syntax without understanding the distinction between the roles. Therefore, the parameter of learning should focus on the dynamic change of roles and the flexible thinking of using letters. We develop a self-regulation model based on the monitoring working question in teaching-learning situations. We expect that this model helps students understand concepts of letters that enable to construct meaning in a concrete context.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.375-394
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to examine the transition of mathematical representation in Joseon mathematics, which is focused on numbers and operations, letters and expressions. In Joseon mathematics, there had been two numeral systems, one by chinese character and the other by counting rods. These systems were changed into the decimal notation which used Indian-Arabic numerals in the late 19th century passing the stage of positional notation by Chinese character. The transition of the representation of operation and expressions was analogous to that of representation of numbers. In particular, Joseon mathematics represented the polynomials and equations by denoting the coefficients with counting rods. But the representation of European algebra was introduced in late Joseon Dynasty passing the transitional representation which used Chinese character. In conclusion, Joseon mathematics had the indigenous representation of numbers and mathematical symbols on our own. The transitional representation was found before the acceptance of European mathematical representations.

• Asia Pacific Journal of Corpus Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 2020

The present study examines language used to talk about the global coronavirus pandemic during a three-month period of movement control order in Malaysia. More specifically, a corpus of online letters to the editor of a local popular national newspaper was collected during the time in which the official quarantine instruction was initiated, resulting in a total of 303 online letters written by Malaysians that were analyzed through use of corpus linguistics techniques. For this purpose, the latest version of #LancsBox 5.0 (Brezina et al., 2020) is used to analyze patterns of language surrounding the portrayal of Covid-19 and further visualizing them by use of collocation networks. Findings present 25 statistically significant collocates that share an interesting relationship in revealing what the letters are about and thus, reflecting how Malaysians perceive and receive news about the pandemic during this time. Recurring topics and expressions include describing the virus in terms of metaphorical use of language (Covid-19 does not discriminate), preparing for an economic fallout (Prihatin Economic Stimulus Package), and preference to associate Covid-19 as a pandemic (impacts of the Covid19 pandemic) rather than an outbreak (first/second/third wave of the outbreak). Implications of the study resonates with findings from Azizan et al. (2020) where constructions of positive discourse among Malaysian writers may reflect the culture and society that make up the nation.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.269-283
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• 2014

Recently, 3S Mathematics Education (Storytelling mathematics education, SMART mathematics education, and STEAM mathematics education) is emphasized. Based on recently published report on Storytelling mathematics textbook, we propose executable expression based SMART storytelling mathematics related to the elementary mathematic curriculum on 3D building blocks. We designed letters and expressions to represent three dimensional shape of 3D building blocks, and we compare its characteristics with that of LEGO blocks. We assert that text-based executable expressions not only construct what students want to make but also teachers can read students thinking process and can support educational help based on students needs. We also present linear function, quadratic function, and function variable concepts using executable expressions based on 3D building block as an example of SMART storytelling mathematics. This research was supported by the collaborated creativity mentoring project between Siheung City and college of education at Seoul National University. We hope designed executable expressions can be used for the development of SMART storytelling mathematics education.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.328-332
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• 2010

Filipino language is an Austronesian language based on numerous native languages with influences from other major languages such as English and Spanish. The Filipino alphabet is consists of 26 English alphabets, with the addition of two letters, "$\tilde{n}$" and "ng", a total of 28 letters. Filipino language expressions and sentences are still incomparable to English and Spanish even though there are numerous borrowed words from these languages. This study aims to discover the uniqueness in the Filipino language by identifying the frequencies of the letters in common words used and be able to introduce a revolutionary keypad for the Filipinos which is scientifically efficient. To compare the efficiency of the revised and the original keypad, computations using Fitts' Law, Hick-Hyman Law and KSPC were done. Results showed that the new keypad layout was more effective than the original keypad. Introducing a improvised keypad to the Filipinos is one step closer in achieving customized services and features to Filipinos in mobile computing.