Supporting students to compress mathematical knowledge while problem solving

Abstract

Compression of mathematical objects, procedures and statements could play a major role in successful problem solving. We report on a study in which we aim to design an instrument, named heuristic tree, to stimulate the process of compression in students while working in a digital problem-solving environment. In particular, we report on the evidence a second pilot study provided that improvements in the design helped to overcome issues with help-seeking that presented themselves in a first pilot.