PERC 2009 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Undergraduate Engineers' Sense-making of Mathematics |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | We are investigating what facilitates or impedes mathematical sense-making -- seeking for meaning and coherence between mathematics and the physical system-- by students in their introductory physics and engineering courses. As such, we have administered epistemological surveys and conducted clinical interviews with students in introductory physics and basic circuits courses. A comparison of clinical interviews of two students, Matt and Emily, illustrates a trend: the tendency to hook up mathematical formalism to the physical intuition facilitates conceptual understanding and problem-solving. Although Matt and Emily both possess the needed basic math skills and physical ideas, Matt solves problems more fluidly and successfully for two reasons: (1) he has formed cognitive units, called symbolic forms [1], in which an algebraic template is tied to a conceptual interpretation, and (2) his epistemological beliefs about math, unlike Emily's, support his using these symbolic forms as a central part of his problem solving. [1]Cognition and Instruction, 19(4), pgs 479-541, 2001 |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Mike Hull University of Maryland PERG University of Maryland Department of Physics 082 Regents Drive College Park, MD 20742-4111 Phone: (301) 405-6185 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Co-author: Eric Kuo University of Maryland PERG (301) 405-6185 erickuo -at- umd.edu |
