Connecting Digital and Physical Resources for Enriching Heuristic Strategies in Geometry Problem Solving. Theoretical Considerations and Empirical Findings

Abstract

There has been a large amount of research about the impact of dynamic geometry software (DGS) on the learning of mathematics mainly related to different representations of mathematical concepts and functional dependences. This paper goes beyond these investigations by suggesting meaningful connection and integration of DGS with physical resources as 3D prints. It is evocative to investigate which students’ general and subject-specific heuristic strategies in geometry problem solving can be identified when connecting diverse types of resources. Though the importance of diverse heuristic strategies in problem solving has already been acknowledged in literature, effects of a meaningful connection of different digital and tangible resources on the widening and broadening the spectrum of strategies have not been explored to a satisfactory amount. Empirical results of this undertaken design based research with prospective high school mathematics teachers contribute to consolidation of the existing body of theoretical knowledge and open new question for further research about the relation: resources-strategies.