ERIC Number: EJ1378368
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1051-1970
EISSN: EISSN-1935-4053
Jargon Miscues a Student's Mathematical Thinking in an Online Proofs Course: A Reflective Study of an Email Intervention
PRIMUS, v33 n2 p186-202 2023
An online intro-to-proof course provided an unexpected opportunity for a series of email exchanges that yielded insights into one student's mathematical thinking and the ambiguous role of mathematical jargon in miscuing this student's reasoning. The jargon deals with the notation [limit value of a function], which encapsulates multiple conceptual meanings: the process of taking the limit, the question of if the limit exists, and if the limit exists, its value. As a matter of jargon, the statement [limit value of a function] = L was used in context for L to retain these multiple meanings, so L no longer represented merely a value. In computational calculus, this is of no consequence but in a course involving limit proofs, it led to confusion.
Descriptors: Jargon, Mathematics Education, Thinking Skills, Online Courses, Mathematical Logic, Validity, Electronic Mail, Intervention, Miscue Analysis, College Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A