Solving structured geometric tasks on the computer: The role of feedback in generating strategies

Abstract

This paper describes a year-long study of the way a group of six 12-year-old children went about solving a special class of geometric problems, using a computer and a limited set of Logo programming tools. We examined children's solution strategies from the perspective of whether the strategies led to insights about the underlying mathematical relations. It was found that the “feedback” aspect of the computer graphics screen encouraged solution strategies that were qualitative and driven by visual data, rather than being based on explicit or implicit relations. These visually based strategies did not lead to the kind of mathematization of problem-situations that we as mathematics educators would like to see and, in fact, seemed to be a barrier to the development of higher levels of geometric thinking.