Teachers’ critical reflections on digital fabrication for making manipulatives to support mathematical teaching
Résumé
Digital fabrication (DF) is the process of translating a digital design developed on a computer into a physical object. While digital fabrication has been widespread in STEM education and design thinking, we see an opportunity to use DF by mathematics teachers for making manipulatives opening for new learning experiences. We conducted four full-day workshops with eight in-service teachers inquiring into DF tools, techniques, and platforms. Teachers explored 2D and 3D modelling and fabrication using 3D printer, laser- and vinyl-cutter. In this paper, we report on teachers’ critical reflections on DF for making manipulatives to support their mathematical teaching. Our findings show that teachers used DF tools to create their own manipulatives and designed customized teaching activities for inquiry-based teaching. They developed a strong sense of ownership over the created manipulatives, crucial for teachers to effectively utilize manipulatives in the long term.
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