PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Some preliminary results on the influence of dynamic visualizations on undergraduate calculus learning
Page: 982
To produce more STEM graduates in the U.S., improving student success in calculus is crucial; previous research suggests that students with a proclivity to visualize when solving mathematics tasks are not the “star” students in mathematics classrooms. A study of undergraduate curriculum also found that common calculus tasks reinforce procedural understanding. Since incorporating dynamic visualization (DV) provides a possible tool for increasing understanding, we investigate the role of DV in calculus learning at the university level. We examine student understanding of derivative as a rate of change by comparing student experiences when exploring with DV software or engaging with static tasks in individual interviews collected in four episodes over one semester on four students identified as visualizers and five as non-visualizers. Comparisons reveal the emergence of cognitive conflict and its resolution for students encountering the DVs but this resolution is not evident for those only engaged in static work.