Express Yourself: Math Learning in the Context of Communication

• In Event: Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: Math Talk and Communication Issues

Abstract

Industry and science depend on mathematical communication to convey complex ideas across individuals and cultures. These symbolic representations must be sufficiently complete and precise that another person, often unknown to the originator, can recreate what they describe. We explore a way to help students appreciate the communicative power of mathematics and leverage this understanding to improve their learning of mathematical notations. Students in two conditions made descriptions for other classmates or for themselves. Students who worked with others' descriptions learned significantly more (than students who made descriptions just for themselves). They achieved this performance despite not receiving feedback on their descriptions. These students also were more prepared to learn content from a lecture on x-y coordinate systems.

Authors

• Nicole Rose Hallinen, Stanford University

• Robert Semmens, Stanford University

• Ilsa Dohmen

• Doris B. Chin, Stanford University

• Catherine C. Chase, Carnegie Mellon University