PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2018
San Diego, California
Developing Understanding of the Partial Derivative with a Physical Manipulative
Page: 669
Multivariable calculus education is an area of growing investigation, and in this study we specifically target the topic of partial derivatives. Data was collected on students learning in an innovative curriculum using physical manipulatives. We trace the complex path as students developed both their mathematical knowledge and their use of the artifacts at their disposal, and analyze the interaction between them. Implications for the classroom and for research are noted.