Title: ASSESSING DIAGRAM QUALITY: MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO REPRESENTATION
Abstract: The effectiveness of a diagram in problem solving is dependent on its utility as a cognitive tool. In order to develop students' ability to use diagrams as cognitive tools, teachers need to assess the quality of students' diagrams and provide them with the necessary support. However assessing the quality of diagrams is problematic. This paper discusses how theoretical prototypes and exemplars of level ofpelformance provide a practical and effective avenue for assessing the quality of students' diagrams. Mathematics educators strongly advocate the use of the strategy draw a diagram for· mathematical problem solving (e.g., National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 1989). This perspective is strongly grounded in the belief that generating a diagram facilitates the conceptualisation of the problem structure (van Essen & Hamaker, 1990). Although the use of a diagram as a tool of mathematics can empower primary students to deal with novelty (NCTM, 1989), effective problem solving depends on the quality of students' diagrams (Yancey, Thompson, & Yancey, 1989). Thus, the generation of high quality diagrams should be a goal in any instructional programme on diagram use. The salient question that emerges, which is the focus of this paper, is how to assess the quality of students' diagrams. THE USE OF THE DIAGRAM IN PROBLEM SOLVING
Publication Year: 1999
Publication Date: 1999-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 12
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot