The shaping of student knowledge: learning with dynamic geometry software
The shaping of student knowledge: learning with dynamic geometry software
The focus of this paper is a software genre usually referred to as ‘dynamic geometry’ because of the ability of the user to dynamically manipulate geometrical figures created with the software tool. Using data from a longitudinal study of 12-13 students’ use of dynamic geometry software, the focus of the analysis is on the interpretations the students make of geometrical objects and relationships when using this form of software. The analysis suggests that the students’ mathematical reasoning is shaped by their interactions with the software in that their ability to explain geometrical facts and relationships evolves from imprecise, ‘everyday’ expressions, through reasoning that is overtly mediated by the software environment, to mathematical explanations of the geometric situation that transcend the particular tool being used. Such findings suggest that curriculum initiatives that encourage the use of dynamic geometry software are appropriate but that the incorporation of such software into classroom practices is unlikely to be straightforward.
pedagogy, curriculum, teaching, learning, intuition, geometry, intuitive, drawing, measurement, imagining, manipulating, figures, mathematics, geometric, geometrical, deductive reasoning, proof, school, national curriculum, ICT, dynamic geometry, DGS, DGE
Jones, Keith
ea790452-883e-419b-87c1-cffad17f868f
2005
Jones, Keith
ea790452-883e-419b-87c1-cffad17f868f
Jones, Keith
(2005)
The shaping of student knowledge: learning with dynamic geometry software.
Virtual Learning? the Computer Assisted Learning Conference 2005 (CAL05), Bristol, United Kingdom.
04 - 06 Apr 2005.
10 pp
.
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
The focus of this paper is a software genre usually referred to as ‘dynamic geometry’ because of the ability of the user to dynamically manipulate geometrical figures created with the software tool. Using data from a longitudinal study of 12-13 students’ use of dynamic geometry software, the focus of the analysis is on the interpretations the students make of geometrical objects and relationships when using this form of software. The analysis suggests that the students’ mathematical reasoning is shaped by their interactions with the software in that their ability to explain geometrical facts and relationships evolves from imprecise, ‘everyday’ expressions, through reasoning that is overtly mediated by the software environment, to mathematical explanations of the geometric situation that transcend the particular tool being used. Such findings suggest that curriculum initiatives that encourage the use of dynamic geometry software are appropriate but that the incorporation of such software into classroom practices is unlikely to be straightforward.
Text
Jones_shaping_DGS_CAL_conference_2005.pdf
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More information
Published date: 2005
Additional Information:
Draft paper; please do not quote without the permission of the author
Venue - Dates:
Virtual Learning? the Computer Assisted Learning Conference 2005 (CAL05), Bristol, United Kingdom, 2005-04-04 - 2005-04-06
Keywords:
pedagogy, curriculum, teaching, learning, intuition, geometry, intuitive, drawing, measurement, imagining, manipulating, figures, mathematics, geometric, geometrical, deductive reasoning, proof, school, national curriculum, ICT, dynamic geometry, DGS, DGE
Organisations:
Mathematics, Science & Health Education
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 18817
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/18817
PURE UUID: 0692fa14-bfd2-4541-81ad-076bf5b01c91
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Date deposited: 04 Jan 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 06:08
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