PROCEEDINGS OF THE 16TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (Vol 2)
2013
Denver, Colorado
Effects of Collaborative Revision on Beliefs About Proof Function and Validation Skills
Page: 2-461
Although there is much research showing that proof serves more than just a verification function in mathematics, there is little research documenting which functions of proof undergraduate students understand. Additionally, research suggests that students have difficulty in determining the validity of a given proof. This study examines the effects of a teaching intervention called collaborative revision on student beliefs regarding proof and on student proof validation skills. Student assessment data was collected and interviews were conducted with students in the treatment course and in a comparison course. At the end of this study, we will produce a categorization of the proof functions that students appreciate, as well as a determination of the value of the teaching intervention on students’ abilities to correctly classify proofs as valid or invalid.