Deleuzian actualizations of the multiplicative concept: a study of perceptual flow and the transformation of learning assemblages

Abstract

This paper substantiates the notion of inclusive materialism by illustrating the role of signs and micro-perception in the learning process of multiplication. Inclusive materialism, offered by de Freitas and Sinclair, considers mathematical learning a process of becoming a learning assemblage, which embodies various materials in a Deleuzian sense. Drawing on the Deleuzian notions of the sign, micro-perception, and assemblage, we analyze a classroom dynamic in which students are involved in the actualization of the concept of multiplication. The analysis shows that the scale of micro-perception modifies the material condition and leads learners to be extricated from the previous signification and previous approaches. Through gesturing and diagramming activities, the learners’ perception was structured and new habits of handling multiplicative situations were embodied. Ultimately, this paper evidences that by drawing on key ideas from Deleuze, inclusive materialism provides a new framework for theorizing the relations between materials, perception, and learning.