Is proving a visual act?

This paper looks at the role of visualisation in the proving process. It considers the different functions of proof and then describes student responses when engaged in the process of discovering Viviani’s Theorem. The findings show that learners can attain high levels of conviction when working in a dynamic geometry environment. In particular, students are able to grasp concepts easier when engaging with dynamic images, especially if these images create some cognitive conflict with their existing knowledge or ideas. Furthermore, the paper explores the student proving process from the context of proof as explanation. One of the important results of the paper shows that given the correct guidance, students may be able to proof simple mathematical results. Whilst this may be a small scale qualitative research, it still indicates to us that dynamic software can be used relatively effectively in mathematics classrooms, especially from the perspective of being able to engage visually with new mathematical concepts. 

,

Visualisation ,

proof ,

dynamic geometry ,