Relation between understandings of linear algebra concepts in the embodied world and in the symbolic world

Abstract

For the use of embodied notions in teaching linear algebra, some studies indicate that it is helpful, whereas other studies indicate that it could be problematic or become an obstacle. Hence, additional research is needed. This study is focused on linear (in)dependence and basis, and investigates the relation between their understandings in the embodied and symbolic worlds. We also examine whether students' conceptions in the embodied world can be improved by the instruction emphasizing geometric images, as our previous studies identified some limitations of students' understanding in the embodied world. To address these issues, we designed four tasks aiming to assess students' conceptions of linear (in)dependence, basis, and dimension, and also designed linear algebra lessons emphasizing geometric images of these concepts. These tasks were conducted during the lessons and the data of 38 engineering students was collected. The analysis for the data showed that conceptions in the embodied world was positively associated with conceptions in the symbolic world; however, students' conceptions in the embodied world were not sufficiently improved by the geometric instruction implemented in this study.