A visual introduction to algebra

Having introduced many students to algebra, I have always wanted to find a way to make it "make sense". One year, I met two researchers from the University of San Diego, Dr Ferdinand Rivera and Dr Joanne Rossi at a conference in Greece(*). Their presentations and later conversations I had with the two of them, especially an electronic correspondence with Dr Rivera, changed my practice completely.

This is a recorded description of this approach that was presented to the staff of Avila College in December 2014.



If you wish, you can download my article, Thinking Visually About Algebra, from the website of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.

(*) Psychology of Mathematics Education 33.

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