PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Examining students’ proficiency with operations on irrational numbers
Page: 160
Fluency with our number system is a critical part of mathematics. Understanding how rational and irrational numbers work and fit in to the number system as a whole is at the foundation of a good understanding of mathematics. In this study, we present developmental mathematics students with a task which tests understanding of the closure of irrational numbers under addition and multiplication. We analyze the data using the strands of proficiency framework from Adding It Up (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001), searching for evidence of each strand. The results show varied levels of proficiency within each strand and overall. We conclude with implications for teaching.