PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2017
San Diego, California
Student ways of framing differential equations tasks
Page: 1633
In this research presentation I utilize the theoretical perspective Knowledge In Pieces (diSessa,1993) to identify the knowledge resources two students utilized while in the process ofcompleting various differential equations tasks. The results provide a fine-grained description ofthe knowledge students consider to be productive with regard to completing various differentialequations tasks. Further the analysis resulted in the identification of five ways students framedifferential equations tasks and how these framings are related to the different knowledgeresources students utilize while completing the various tasks. These framings did not onlyprovide insight into the students’ general approaches to completing the task; differences in theindividual students’ applications of knowledge across the tasks were accounted for by thedifferent Framings. The results have direct implications with regard to the teaching ofdifferential equations as they inform the ideas students view as productive when completingvarious tasks involving differential equations.Keywords: Differential Equations, Knowledge in Pieces, Undergraduate Student Learning