An epistemic model of task design in dynamic geometry environment

Abstract

Dynamic geometry environment (DGE) has been a catalytic agent driving a paradigm shift in the teaching and learning of school geometry in the past two decades. It opens up a pedagogical space for teachers and students to engage in mathematical explorations that niche across the experimental and the theoretical. In particular, the drag-mode in DGE has been a unique pedagogical tool that can facilitate and empower students to experiment with dynamic geometrical objects which can lead to generation of mathematical conjectures. Furthermore, the drag-mode seems to open up a new methodology and even a new discourse to acquire geometrical knowledge alternative to the traditional Euclidean deductive reasoning paradigm. This discussion paper proposes an epistemic model of techno-pedagogic mathematic task design which serves as a theoretical combined-lens to view mathematics knowledge acquisition. Three epistemic modes for techno-pedagogic mathematical task design are proposed. They are used to conceptualize design of dynamic geometry tasks capitalizing the unique drag-mode nature in DGE that opens up an explorative space for learners to acquire mathematical knowledge.