PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Instantiation practices during conjecturing activity: implications from the use of technology
Page: 99
Proof is a complex mathematical activity with which students struggle as they transition from K- 14 to abstract mathematics. This transition may be eased by developing mathematical practices during more accessible mathematical activities, such as conjecturing. Recent studies in both proof and conjecturing suggest that instantiation practices, practices surrounding the generation and selection of examples during mathematical inquiry, are key to success in both activities. In our own study, most participants utilized GeoGebra, a dynamic geometry software, to facilitate their investigations; however, although this software (in theory) makes sophisticated instantiation practices possible, it did not appear to advance participants’ instantiation practices. In this paper, we detail the participants’ use of the GeoGebra and raise implications, questions, and cautions for teaching and research.