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ERIC Number: EJ1163766
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1051-1970
EISSN: N/A
Beyond the Given: Stretching Mathematical Thinking through Journaling
Hamdan, May
PRIMUS, v27 n10 p916-925 2017
This paper reflects on a teaching experiment and presents details of a pedagogical technique where students periodically write down their clearest interpretation of the conditions imposed on various discrete mathematical subjects they are learning in class. Through iterations, students generate a more complete understanding of the material, one that they themselves can justify. This experiment was conducted in the Discrete Mathematical Structures course; as it contains several subtopics, each of which uses a discrete set of elements with specific conditions. The textbook does not mention how those conditions are effectively put to use, and often uses the natural numbers as the default domain. Students are required to identify in their journals the exact properties that the elements need to have, justify how they are being put to use, and in ambitious cases attempt to sharpen them if possible. This activity can be adapted to different contexts and is not specific to the topic of Discrete Mathematical Structures.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Lebanon
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A