Electronic Proceedings of the 12th Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics

 

            Abstract for 12680

            Using Computer Multimedia to Dissolve Cognitive Conflicts of

            Mathematical Proof

            Authors: Chun-Yi Lee, Ming-Puu Chen

            Affiliations: National Taiwan Normal University

            Keywords:

 

            This paper exemplified the design of an instructional support by

            means of computer-multimedia to dissolve studentsˇ¦ cognitive

            conflicts during the process of a mathematical proof problem, the

            pasture problem. Cognitive conflicts occur when there are

            expectations which are not fulfilled. The pasture problem provides

            cognitive conflicts and encourages students to explore and bridge

            the gap between conjectures and proofs. In the beginning of the

            problem-solving process, students made a conjecture concerning the

            solution of the pasture problem and proposed a reason why it was

            true. The reason was often rooted in common sense or based on

            previous learning. Through multimedia-represented cognitive

            conflicts, students are more capable of visualizing and accepting

            the new conjecture. Then, it led them to construct a new explanation

            for this new conjecture naturally. It is believed that through the

            multimedia-supported exploration students were guided to use

            deductive reasoning, construct reasons to support the new

            conjecture, and be motivated to solve the pasture problem.

            Full paper will appear at the second issue of eJMT

            (http://ejmt.mathandtech.org)