In this presentation I will share on a research project where we explored how undergraduates, enrolled in an introductory linear algebra course, collectively created an assemblage of a shear using 3-D change of basis vectors. For this study, I used a theoretical perspective that falls under the umbrella of embodied cognition–inclusive materialism. This lens posits that learning is the invention of a new creation that manifests through imagination in unusual and unexpected ways. It describes mathematics as an assemblage between the body of participants and the body of their materials that give shape to an activity, where affective and aesthetic features contribute to the virtuality of the body of mathematics. Our findings suggest that the class created an assemblage of a shear by (a) introducing or catalyzing the new and (b) showcasing how aesthetics and affect inspire intra-actions. As part of my presentation, I will describe the students’ intra-actions with their own fabricated material.

Bio

Hortensia Soto is a Professor and Graduate Director in the Department of Mathematics at Colorado State University. Her research centers on the teaching and learning of K-16 mathematics where she adopts an embodied cognition perspective. Hortensia has served as the Associate Treasurer, the Associate Secretary, and as an editor of the MAA Instructional Practices Guide. Currently, she serves as MAA Past President. She is a proud recipient of the MAA Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. In her spare time, Hortensia enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, practicing yoga, meditating, and spending time with her son Miguel.

Introduction

Ron Taylor