Self-formation through the use of ICT in mathematics education: contributions of professor Michael David De Villiers

Abstract

The visit of Professor De Villiers aims as a priority contribute decisively to the project "Self-formation through the use of Information and Communication Technologies in Mathematics Education", which began in 2008 under the Program of Postgraduate Studies in Mathematics Education at the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo. This project, undertaken by the Research Group TecDEM, has gained considerable international attention because of the support obtained through funding by FAPESP for presentation in one of the most important world conferences on technology in mathematics education, the ICTMT 9 (University of Metz, France , July 2009), which occurred through the process 2009/06044-4. Moreover, important articles related to this project obtained three insertions in major scientific events held in Brazil and one article accepted for publication in 2010 in an international journal with Qualis A2 classification. In its last phase, the project intends to provide elements to the understanding of existing interfaces between the use of information and communication technologies in Mathematics Education and the different areas of knowledge/investigation in everyday school life, both from the point of view of students as of the teachers. These areas are Geometry, Calculus, Algebra and Statistics mainly, and Mathematics History and Teachers Formation, secondarily. The organization and the search for a constructive synthesis that allow to support this last stage is very important. From this point of view, the advice of Professor De Villiers will, thanks to its wide experience in the areas involved and research projects of this nature, can create the conditions for determining the most appropriate methodological procedures, the mapping of the most ambitious goals, the dialogue with other researchers in the specific areas mentioned, the selection of subjects for the new phase, the relation between achievements and objectives aimed in the current approach, among other possibilities. Thus, in addition to meetings with researchers and students of research group TecDEM, the visitor will state the relationship of the current project, to which the visit is linked, with the Teaching of Mathematics with Technology, in its multiple aspects, allowing greater clarity and successful results on the proposed teaching-learning projects involved. Another important contribution expected under the project will come from the broad experience of research fellow in the handling of software and other related products in mathematics education. In this way, it will possible to discuss what elements may be used in this investigation phase, and what subsidiary studies may contribute to reveal difficulties and potentials of teachers and students in the use of computational systems, what can be done as part of masters and/or doctoral theses related to the project. (AU)