Disciplines
Science and Mathematics Education | Secondary Education
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Modeling Functions: Modified Falling Ladder Task
By the time students graduate from high school, the knowledge of functions has shifted from a conceptual understanding to a procedural approach, where the understanding of functions is based upon memorized computational steps that can’t be modeled. A focus on the computational aspect of functions can have a long-term effect on students’ ability to understand the meaning of functional relationships, negatively affecting their overall ability to reason mathematically. Without educators making a conscious decision to recognize the value of modeling and force its’ inclusion, there are few opportunities to experience the application of functional relationships in secondary mathematics classrooms. This presentation overviews a task that provides students with an opportunity to engage in the analysis of the relationship between two quantities through a modeling exploration of a variation of the infamous falling ladder problem. Students use technology to aid in their discovery as they progress through various level of the task, ranging from Geometry to Calculus topics. The overall goal is to portray a real-life situation where the problem may contain ambiguous information, too much/too little data, and involve visual representations as students model the falling ladder problem. The task included in this research provides educators with a resource that can be duplicated or expanded to provide students will a realistic modeling opportunity throughout various secondary mathematics classes.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
BCOE - Secondary & Middle Grades Education
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Glassmeyer
Modeling Functions: Modified Falling Ladder Task
Modeling Functions: Modified Falling Ladder Task
By the time students graduate from high school, the knowledge of functions has shifted from a conceptual understanding to a procedural approach, where the understanding of functions is based upon memorized computational steps that can’t be modeled. A focus on the computational aspect of functions can have a long-term effect on students’ ability to understand the meaning of functional relationships, negatively affecting their overall ability to reason mathematically. Without educators making a conscious decision to recognize the value of modeling and force its’ inclusion, there are few opportunities to experience the application of functional relationships in secondary mathematics classrooms. This presentation overviews a task that provides students with an opportunity to engage in the analysis of the relationship between two quantities through a modeling exploration of a variation of the infamous falling ladder problem. Students use technology to aid in their discovery as they progress through various level of the task, ranging from Geometry to Calculus topics. The overall goal is to portray a real-life situation where the problem may contain ambiguous information, too much/too little data, and involve visual representations as students model the falling ladder problem. The task included in this research provides educators with a resource that can be duplicated or expanded to provide students will a realistic modeling opportunity throughout various secondary mathematics classes.