TSG 16: Visualisation in the teaching and learning of mathematics

Team Chairs
Gerald A. Goldin, Science and Mathematics Partnerships, Rutgers University
Address: 118 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway NJ 08854-8019, USA
gagoldin@dimacs.rutgers.edu

Walter Whiteley, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University
Address: N 520 Ross Building, 4700 Keele Street,, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
whiteley@mathstat.yorku.ca

Team Members
Tania Maria Campos, Centre of Exact and Technological Sciences, Pontifícal Catholic University  of São Paulo, Brazil
tania@pucsp.br

Masataka Koyama, Department of Mathematics Education, Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima University, Japan
mkoyama@hiroshima-u.ac.jp 

Michela Maschietto, Department of Mathematics, University of Modena, Italy
maschietto.michela@unimo.it

Aims and Focus

Call for Papers

Practical Information

Programme

Papers and Discussion Documents


Aims and Focus

It has come to be recognised that visualisation and visual imagery are important aspects of mathematical understanding, insight and reasoning, and that visual presentations as well as attention to students' diverse use of visuals are essential to effective mathematics teaching. This topic study group invites a discussion of visualisation from multiple perspectives, addressing the following kinds of questions:

What are the roles of visuals and visualisation in mathematics? How do visual forms and visual reasoning about mathematical ideas affect diverse mathematical  fields, historically and at the present time? What are some of the classic and most effective examples that can illustrate these roles for students? 

What is the psychological role of visual thinking, and related forms of representation (e.g., spatial and kinaesthetic representation), in the learning of mathematics? How do experts and novices "learn to see"? Do mathematicians, teachers and diverse students "see" different things when working with the "same" diagram or sketch? How can this be ascertained?

What do studies of cognition and diagrammatic reasoning tell us about visual representation in the human brain? How can we teach and learn to use visualisation more effectively? 

What relation now exists or should exist between visual forms and visual reasoning, and the mathematical curriculum? What kinds of external visual representations and internal visualisations (mental imagery) occur as children build concepts in relation to particular mathematical topics and processes, such as whole numbers, proportional reasoning or fractions? How can appropriate visualisation increase mathematical power?

How does visualisation related to other ingredients of mathematical understanding, such as the use of symbolic notation? How do various visualisations relate to students' affect and motivation in relation to mathematics? What distinguishes effective from ineffective use of visuals in the classroom?

What are some of the most effective technology-based tools for mathematical visualizations: for example stills, sequences of stills, animated visuals, 2-D and simulated 3-D, passive and interactive? How are these used in the practice of mathematics? How can these be used most effectively in mathematics teaching?

Call for Papers

The TSG-16 committee cordially invites you to submit summaries of papers addressing topics related to our "Aims and Focus". Each summary should  be up to 4 pages in length, and outline the key ideas addressed and conclusions reached. Where applicable, journal references or website addresses providing access to fully developed papers should be included. Submission should be electronic to one of the committee members with a copy to one of the co-chairs: either as a direct e-mail, or as an attached Word file. Please do not send full papers. Please do not exceed the page guideline.

Based on the quality and level of interest of the submission, the committee will either (1) accept the submission for posting to our website and for distribution of multiple copies at the TSG meetings, or (2) request that the author revise for resubmission, in accordance with suggestions from the committee members, or (3) determine that the submission is not likely to be pertinent or appropriate to this TSG, and suggest it be submitted elsewhere.

Please indicate in a cover note with your submission whether or not you wish to be considered for an oral presentation at TSG-16. Please do not request this if you already have a major role in the ICME-10 conference, since the number of possible speakers is extremely limited. We are anticipating talks of up to 15 minutes each, followed by 5 minutes for discussion. We expect to finalize the selection of speakers for this TSG during February 2004, and will notify everyone who has submitted; so for full consideration for oral presentation, please submit by February 1, 2004. After February, we shall continue to welcome written submissions for posting and distribution.

We also encourage Poster Session proposals connected to TSG 16. The ICME deadline for Poster Session proposals is also February 1. We encourage you to consider that option, and to inform the TSG 16 organizers. If there are a sufficient number of related posters, we may incorporate a structured discussion of them.

Practical Information

Authors of written submissions that are accepted for distribution should plan to be present for the TSG sessions, and should provide sufficient copies for distribution at the meeting. The committee cannot prepare copies for you.

Programme

The program will include a balance of oral presentations and  discussions, structured discussions of sets of distributed papers, and open discussion among participants. Click here for more details.

Papers and Discussion Documents