PROCEEDINGS OF THE 15TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (Vol 2)
2012
Portland, Oregon
Student Understanding in the Concept of Limit in Calculus: How Student Responses Vary Depending on Question Format and Type of Representation
Page: 2-348
Research indicates that calculus students have difficulties with limit. However, underlying reasons for those difficulties and possible influences of question format have not been examined in detail. Since limit is foundational to calculus it would help the mathematics education community to know not only the difficulties students have, but also how questions used to assess knowledge affect responses. Data for this study came from surveys administered to 111 first semester calculus students. Survey questions focused on limit in multiple representations including graphs, mathematical notation and definitions. Questions were multiple choice and free response. Student difficulties documented in previous research were evident in this population. Findings also indicated that difficulties students exhibited in one question were sometimes different then the difficulties those same students exhibited when asked about the same idea in a different representation. Students in general had less difficulty with graphical representations than mathematical notation or definition questions.