Pathfinder: A Microcomputer Experience in Interpreting Graphs

Abstract

This article describes the design, implementation, and testing of a microcomputer package intended to improve students' understanding and skills in interpreting graphs of physical phenomena. In this package students interpret graphs in order to reproduce the events described by the graphs. Students may also construct events and challenge others to reproduce the events from the graphs they generate. Some previous work is described briefly to provide context for the activities. The package was used with students in grades nine through twelve. Students taking the college preparatory mathematics classes differed from those taking general mathematics in their choices of activities and in the strategies they used. There was evidence that students' strategies changed as they gained more experience.

Designing computer-based cognitive tools to assist learners to interpret graphs and tables

“…This verfied the finding of previous researchers such as: Dugdale (1986);Janvier (1978); Mosenthal & Kirsh (1991);Pinker (1981); Preece (1985).…”

“…Researchers who have studied how learners interpret graphs and tables mention the following processes: reading a graph or table; deciphering the labels on axes and the headings of columns ; describing the global features of the data such as maxima, minima, slope, turning points, regular trends or the means of data presentation such as picture form, bars, columns, lines; relating the properties of the graphs and charts to information described in accompanying text; applying prior knowledge to aid in the comprehension of the information presented (Appel, 1973;Dugdale, 1986;Pinker, 1981;Mosenthal & Kirsh, 1991;Preece, 1985;Roth & Bowen, 1994;Bowen & Roth, 1998;van Reeuwijk, 1992). The first three processes mentioned relate to reading or mental processing of displayed information and the last two points relate to the context in which the information occurs.…”