ICLS 2000 Proceedings

 

Role of Students' Representations in the Mathematics Classroom

Radha R. Kalathil, Miriam Gamoran Sherin
School of Education and Social Policy
Northwestern University
2115 N. Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
Tel: (847) 467-3871, Fax: 847-491-8999
Email: rkalathil@ils.nwu.edu, msherin@nwu.edu

Abstract: Learning science research has examined how external representations can be used to foster student reasoning and understanding. This paper describes additional roles that students' representations play in a reform mathematics classroom. The paper describes three ways in which students' representations were used in a classroom: (a) to provide information on how an individual student thinks about a mathematical issue, (b) to provide information on patterns and trends in knowledge across students, and (c) to serve as an classroom tool for the students and teacher.

Keywords: Curriculum, mathematics education, teacher learning

 

Preferred Citation Format:
Kalathil, R.R., & Sherin, M.G. (2000). Role of Students' Representations in the Mathematics Classroom. In B. Fishman & S. O'Connor-Divelbiss (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of the Learning Sciences (pp. 27-28). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Click here to download the full version of this paper in PDF form.