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The Mathematics of Space and Motion

December 29, 2008

Finding new ways to teach powerful mathematical ideas is an urgent societal objective.  The mathematics of space and motion is a domain that has wide-ranging relevance for what children need to learn in school. This subject also presents particularly interesting challenges for a theory of embodied cognition. Research by Mitchell Nathan, Martha Alibali, and colleagues aims to advance understanding of questions about learning and teaching through the development of a theory of embodied mathematical cognition that can apply to a broad range of people, settings and activities. They're part of a team of  three university groups conducting a coordinated series of studies that focus on learning the mathematics of space and motion. This research employs design experiments in diverse settings. One such setting is an extended summer program for talented high school students that recruits from racially diverse and/or economically disadvantaged communities. Another environment is methods courses for secondary pre-service mathematics teachers. More information is available here.