Reports results of two studies using physics materials to determine the parameters of pictorial analogies in combination with expository text. Shows that pictorial analogies can improve learning significantly if they are designed properly and used together with the text. Concludes that the analogies should have high structural similarity between…

Argues for a mathematics education that interprets the word "theorem" in a sense that is wide enough to include the visual aspects of mathematical intuition and reasoning. Defines the term "visual theorems" and illustrates the concept using the Marigold of Theodorus. (Author/MDH)

Identifying the strengths of visual processing in high school mathematics is considered. The development of an instrument to assess mathematical processing is described. Then the kinds of visual imagery found in children in England and Natal are presented, along with difficulties and benefits experienced by visualizers. (MNS)

Explores the relationship between learners' actions, visualizations, and the means by which these are articulated. Describes a microworld called Mathsticks which is designed to help students construct mathematical meanings by forging links between the visual and symbolic representations they develop and their actions. Presents a case study of two…

Describes the design of a learning environment, called the Climate Visualizer, intended to facilitate scientific sense-making in high school classrooms by providing students the ability to craft, inspect, and annotate scientific visualizations. Discusses how visualizations can promote creation of scientific theories, especially in conjunction with…

Presents examples of visual representations helpful in understanding number relationships and the algebraic statements of these relationships. Suggests that these representations can be used by teachers to aid students in discovering number relationships and in acquiring meaning for given mathematical statements. (PK)

Presents activities to visually explore the algebraic concepts of variable, constant, the distributive property, and combining like terms. Presents four transparencies that use visual models to understand exercises in students perform the same mental calculations on a number of their choice and obtain the same result. (MDH)