Undergraduate students’ initial conceptions of factorials
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Elise Lockwood [1] ; Sarah Erickson [1]
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[1] Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Estados Unidos
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- Localización: International journal of mathematical education in science and technology, ISSN 0020-739X, Vol. 48, Nº. 4, 2017, págs. 499-519
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Counting problems offer rich opportunities for students to engage in mathematical thinking, but they can be difficult for students to solve. In this paper, we present a study that examines student thinking about one concept within counting, factorials, which are a key aspect of many combinatorial ideas. In an effort to better understand students’ conceptions of factorials, we conducted interviews with 20 undergraduate students. We present a key distinction between computational versus combinatorial conceptions, and we explore three aspects of data that shed light on students’ conceptions (their initial characterizations, their definitions of 0!, and their responses to Likert-response questions). We present implications this may have for mathematics educators both within and separate from combinatorics.
