PERC 2018 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Recognizing and Promoting Mathematical Cause-and-Effect Reasoning: An example of responsive teaching in a peer instruction-style lecture |
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| Abstract: | Physicists do not always calculate exact values to answer their questions. At times, the blending of a qualitative understanding of physical systems with a quantitative understanding of relevant physics equations can lead to mathematical reasoning about causes and their effects (e.g., proportional reasoning, reasoning about dependencies). While this type of mathematical sensemaking in physics is valuable, there is little work on how to help students engage in these practices spontaneously. We propose that responsive teaching can support mathematical cause-and-effect reasoning by recognizing and building on students' existing ideas. In this poster, we present an example from a peer instruction-style discussion in introductory mechanics where the instructor's responsive pedagogy made space in the classroom for students to produce sophisticated cause-and-effect reasoning. We will examine the nature of the instructor's responsive moves and argue that this pedagogical approach supported mathematical sensemaking in two ways: (1) by providing opportunities to engage in this type of reasoning and (2) by supporting the epistemological stance that such reasoning is valuable in physics. |
| Abstract Type: | Symposium Poster |
| Parallel Session: | Probing understanding of the sophisticated use of "simple" mathematics in physics |
| Parallel Session: | Parallel Sessions Cluster III |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Andrew Elby University of Maryland |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Ayush Gupta, University of Maryland Michael M. Hull, University of Vienna Eric Kuo, University of Pittsburgh |
