This article describes how to play two abstract strategy board games: (1) "Blokus" which uses polyominoes--plane geometric figures formed by joining one or more equal squares edge to edge; and (2) "Gemblo" which uses translucent, colored pieces, each of which is made up of one to five hexagons.

Around 430 BCE it is reported that a typhoid epidemic carried off about a quarter of the population of Athens in ancient Greece. When the gods were asked what could be done to halt this raging epidemic, they apparently replied that the altar in the Temple of Apollo in Delios would have to be doubled in size. After several attempts to double the…

Mathematical working space (MWS) is a model that is used in research in mathematics education, particularly in the field of geometry. Some MWS elements are independent of the field while other elements must be adapted to the field in question. In this paper, we develop the MWS model for the field of analysis with an identification of paradigms. We…

The architecture of nature can be seen at play in a tree: no two are alike. The Pythagoras' tree behaves just as a "tree" in that the root plus the same movement repeated over and over again grows from a seed, to a plant, to a tree. In human life, this movement is termed cell division. With triples, this movement is a geometrical and…

This paper analyzes the thought process involved in problem solving and its categorization as creative thinking as defined by psychologist R. Weisberg (2006). Additionally, the notion of insight, sometimes present in unconscious creative thinking and often leading to creative ideas, is discussed in the context of geometry problem solving. In…

In this article, we explored learners' conceptual understanding of coordinates and transformation geometry through concept mapping. A qualitative case study was employed in this study, and data was collected using an investigative task, observation and reflective interviews on a sample of 34 Grade 12 mathematics learners. The study was guided by…

Aiming to enhance understanding of visual obstacles inherent in two-dimensional (2-D) sketches used in high school spatial geometry instruction, we propose a measure of visual difficulty based on two attributes of the sketches: potentially misleading geometrical information (PMI) and potentially helpful geometrical information (PHI). The…

"Mathematical knowledge for teaching" is a concept indicating the requirement for a specific kind of knowledge required to teach mathematics. Mathematical knowledge for teaching necessitates a more complex structure than what is required to carry out mathematical tasks and the knowledge to do that. The purpose of this study is to realize…

The present study aimed to examine the geometric thinking levels of elementary mathematics teacher candidates and to reveal the relationship between the participants' geometric thinking levels and their self-efficacy beliefs towards geometry. The sample group of the study was comprised of 85 freshman students studying in the elementary mathematics…

Mathematical problem solving ability is one of the most important abilities students must have to process the information provided in solving problems. Before using mathematical problem solving skills, prior knowledge becomes the most crucial thing that makes students able to connect all available information so that they can construct new…

To address student misconceptions and promote student learning, use discussion questions as an alternative to reviewing assessments. This article describes how using discussion questions as an alternative to going over the test can address student misconceptions and can promote student learning.

Visual imagery has been an effective tool to communicate ideas connected with basic mathematics concepts since the dawn of mankind. The development of educational visualisation technology allows these ideas to be demonstrated with the help of some educational software. In this paper, we specifically consider the use of GeoGebra, a free,…

We developed generalizable affect detectors using 133,966 instances of 18 affective states collected from 69,174 students who interacted with an online math learning platform called Algebra Nation over the entire school year. To enable scalability and generalizability, we used generic interaction features (e.g., viewing a video, taking a quiz),…

This study examined pre-service teachers' views and experiences of building geometric constructions on paper and with the interactive whiteboard. The study group consisted of 26 pre-service elementary teachers in a state university in the Black Sea region of Turkey who took the Geometry Teaching course. The data were obtained from an opinion form…

In this study we applied a discursive perspective of learning (Sfard, 2008) to a sequence of 21 geometry mini-lessons taught in a fourth grade classroom. From this perspective, learning is defined as changes in mathematical discourse. We first characterize and then compare discourse from the beginning and the end of the mini-lesson sequence. We…