Symbols and mediation in mathematics education
Luis Moreno-Armella
Cinvestav-IPN
Mexico
&
Bharath Sriraman
Dept. of Mathematical Sciences
The University of Montana
Abstract
In this paper we discuss topics that are relevant for designing a theory of mathematics education. More precisely, they are elements of a pre-theory of mathematics education and consist of a set of interdisciplinary ideas which may lead to understand what occurs in the central nervous system—our metaphor for the classroom, and eventually, in larger educational settings. In particular, we highlight the crucial role of representations, the mediation role of artifacts, symbols viewed from an evolutionary perspective, and mathematics as symbolic technology.
Keywords: representation theory in philosophy; symbolic technology; digital media; philosophy of mathematics education
AMS Subject Classification: 97