Peer interactions in a computer lab: reflections on results of a case study involving web-based dynamic geometry sketches [An article from: Journal of Mathematical Behavior]

This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Mathematical Behavior, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
A case study, originally set up to identify and describe some benefits and limitations of using dynamic web-based geometry sketches, provided an opportunity to examine peer interactions in a lab. Since classes were held in a computer lab, teachers and pairs faced the challenges of working and communicating in a lab environment. Research has shown that particular teacher interventions provide motivation for the consideration of new ideas, and help uncover misunderstandings that may interfere with student progress [Towers, J. (1999). In what ways do teachers interventions interact with and occasion the growth of students' mathematical understanding. Doctoral Dissertation, University of British Columbia, Unpublished]. Examples of student discourse presented here suggest that certain peer interactions act in similar ways-helping propel students towards new understanding. On the other hand, they also show that some peer interactions, although superficially similar to teacher interventions, may hamper student progress. .