Visualization and Mathematization: How Digital Tools Provide Access to Formal Physics Ideas

Abstract

This chapter synthesizes the physics education research work related to the interplay of visualization and mathematization in physics teaching and learning, specifically as mediated by dynamic, interactive digital visualization tools. In structuring our synthesis, we build on existing theories of visualization and mathematization to propose two “functions” that visualizations tools exhibit in facilitating mathematization: (1) bridging between physical phenomena and formalisms, and (2) bridging between idealized models of physical phenomena and formalisms. We populate these two broad categories with illustrative examples of visualization tools and conclude with a summary of the developmental history of those tools in physics education research.