PROCEEDINGS OF THE 17TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2014
Denver, Colorado
An Analysis Of Transition-To-Proof Course Students’ Proof Constructions With A View Towards Course Redesign
Page: 1025
The purpose of the study was to gain knowledge about undergraduate transition-to- proof course students’ proving difficulties. We analyzed the final examination papers of students in one such course. Our perspective included the sometimes automated links between situations and (mental, as well as physical) actions. We have tentatively identified process, rather than content, categories of difficulties such as nonstandard language/notation, insufficient warrants, and extraneous statements. The ultimate goal is to use an understanding of some of these categories as pedagogical content knowledge with which to redesign an existing transition-to-proof course.