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Gestures and a chain of signification: the case of equilibrium solutions

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Abstract

This paper provides an exposition of the unfolding and growing complexities of student and instructor gesturing over time. Specifically, it provides an account of how different forms of gestures, all related to the same mathematical idea, can create a chain of signs that support and enhance increasingly sophisticated understanding of one important concept in the learning of differential equations. The chain of gestures presented in this paper offers researchers, instructors, and instructional designers a view of the way in which different gestures can form a common conceptual thread. Expanding on Walkerdine’s (1988) theory of chains of signification, gestures are framed as signs in a chain of signification that captures the evolution of the idea over an extended period of time. Data for the analysis comes from a semester-long classroom teaching experiment in a first course in differential equations.

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Notes

  1. All student names are pseudonyms.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this paper was funded in part by the National Science Foundation under grant no. DRL 0634074. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. North Carolina State University, PO Box 7801, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Karen Allen Keene

  2. San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-7720, USA

    Chris Rasmussen

  3. Center for STEM Education, University of North Carolina Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC, 28223-0001, USA

    Michelle Stephan

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  1. Karen Allen Keene
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  2. Chris Rasmussen
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Correspondence to Karen Allen Keene.

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Keene, K.A., Rasmussen, C. & Stephan, M. Gestures and a chain of signification: the case of equilibrium solutions. Math Ed Res J 24, 347–369 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-012-0054-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-012-0054-3

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