Team Quizzes in GeoGebra to Assist 3D Visualization by Gregory Spradlin
TLDRGregory Spradlin discusses the use of GeoGebra for 3D visualization in calculus education. He highlights its benefits, including its free, open-source nature, 3D graphics, and interactive features. GeoGebra allows students to visualize complex concepts without needing coding skills. Spradlin shares his experience using GeoGebra in team quizzes, emphasizing the importance of making its use mandatory for effective learning. He also discusses the tool's potential for enhancing student engagement and understanding of 3D objects.
Takeaways
- 😀 Gregory Spradlin introduces himself and his GeoGebra handle, emphasizing the potential of GeoGebra for visualizing 3D objects in educational settings.
- 📚 GeoGebra is praised for its free, open-source nature, and its ability to assist students struggling with 3D visualization in subjects like calculus.
- 🎨 The software offers great 3D and 2D graphics capabilities, including a built-in stereo view option for an immersive experience with the use of colored glasses.
- 🔄 GeoGebra's interactivity allows for easy manipulation of 3D models with tools like rotation, zoom, and shifting, enhancing the learning experience.
- 📊 It provides an easy way to create and share interactive worksheets on the web, which can be accessed without the need for an account or software installation.
- 👨🏫 Gregory shares his experience of using GeoGebra for a hands-on assignment where students work in teams to understand and visualize 3D solids of integration.
- 📐 Students were tasked with finding the limits of integration for different orders, using GeoGebra worksheets that plotted the corresponding solids.
- 🏆 The assignment was designed to be graded, promote teamwork, and involve class time participation, aiming to increase engagement and understanding.
- 📈 Gregory observed positive reactions from students, with most working enthusiastically on the assignment and showing significant improvement in their ability to visualize 3D objects.
- 📝 He reflects on the importance of making the use of GeoGebra mandatory for students to ensure engagement and learning outcomes.
- 🔧 Gregory discusses the need for improvements, such as making the assignment mandatory and using learning management systems for easier collection and collaboration on assignments.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of using GeoGebra in teaching 3D visualization?
-The main purpose of using GeoGebra in teaching 3D visualization is to assist students who have trouble visualizing things in three dimensions and to enhance their understanding of complex mathematical concepts through interactive and visual aids.
What are some of the advantages of GeoGebra mentioned in the script?
-GeoGebra's advantages include being free, mostly open source, having great 3D and 2D graphics, a built-in stereo view option, being highly interactive, easy to use with features like buttons and sliders, and offering free web hosting for interactive worksheets.
How does the presenter suggest using GeoGebra for calculus or geometry classes?
-The presenter suggests using GeoGebra to create visual aids for instructors and hands-on activities for students. It can be used to plot solids of integration, which can be manipulated in 3D to help students understand the shapes and limits of integration better.
What is the significance of the 'Sledgehammer' GeoGebra handle mentioned in the script?
-The 'Sledgehammer' GeoGebra handle is the presenter's username on the GeoGebra platform, which is provided in case attendees want to access the worksheets or materials related to the talk.
How does the presenter describe the process of using GeoGebra for a hands-on assignment?
-The presenter describes forming students into groups, providing them with a formula, and having them use GeoGebra to find the limits of integration for different orders. They also had to submit GeoGebra worksheets showing the corresponding solids of integration.
What was the reaction of the students to the GeoGebra assignment?
-The students reacted very positively to the GeoGebra assignment. They worked enthusiastically, asked questions, and almost all teams submitted the quiz within the given time, with results that were almost perfect.
What was the presenter's experiment to measure the effectiveness of GeoGebra?
-The presenter's experiment involved teaching the same class in two different semesters, with one group using GeoGebra and the other not. They compared the students' ability to visualize 3D objects and their performance on a similar exam question.
What were the changes made in the fall of 2023 for the GeoGebra assignment?
-In the fall of 2023, the presenter made the teams smaller, created more polished worksheets with input boxes, and did not require teams to submit GeoGebra worksheets but only the limits of integration on paper.
What was the outcome of the fall 2023 assignment?
-The outcome was not as successful as the spring semester. Many students did not complete the assignment, and the limits of integration submitted were often incorrect, indicating that the assignment's non-mandatory nature led to lower participation.
What lessons did the presenter learn from using GeoGebra in their classes?
-The presenter learned that using GeoGebra must be made mandatory for effective use, regardless of how easy it is. They also learned to use learning management systems or Google Classroom for easier collection of work and collaboration.
What are the presenter's plans for future use of GeoGebra?
-The presenter plans to incorporate more GeoGebra activities throughout the semester and to use learning management systems or Google Classroom to facilitate the process.
Outlines
📐 Introduction to GeoGebra's Educational Potential
Greg introduces himself and discusses his experience using GeoGebra, a free and open-source educational tool with powerful 3D and 2D graphics capabilities. He emphasizes its potential for helping students visualize complex mathematical concepts, particularly in calculus and geometry. Greg highlights GeoGebra's ease of use, interactivity, and the ability to create and share interactive worksheets online without coding knowledge. He also mentions the advantage of its built-in stereo view option for 3D visualization using red-green glasses.
📚 Hands-On Assignment Design with GeoGebra
Greg describes an experiment where he used GeoGebra to help students understand integration in three dimensions. Students were grouped and given formulas representing solids of integration. They were provided with GeoGebra worksheets that plotted these solids and tasked with finding the limits of integration for five different orders. The goal was to enhance understanding and engagement through hands-on activities. Greg also discusses the process of creating worksheets, including personalizing them and addressing potential confusion caused by certain functions and variables.
📈 Student Engagement and Feedback
Greg reflects on the positive student engagement observed during the GeoGebra assignment. He notes that students worked enthusiastically, collaborated, and asked questions. He also mentions a notable 'aha' moment experienced by a student, indicating a significant learning breakthrough. Greg shares that almost all teams submitted their work on time and the results were nearly perfect. He discusses the challenge students face in translating mathematical formulas into a conceptual understanding of integration over a 3D shape.
🔄 Refining the GeoGebra Assignment for Improved Outcomes
In the fall of 2023, Greg made adjustments to the GeoGebra assignment based on previous experience. He formed smaller teams, created more polished worksheets with input boxes, and removed the requirement for teams to submit GeoGebra worksheets. Instead, they were to write the limits of integration on paper and verify them using the worksheets. However, this change led to less productive in-class sessions and incorrect submissions, indicating that making the use of GeoGebra mandatory is crucial for student engagement.
📉 Learnings and Future Plans for GeoGebra Integration
Greg concludes that GeoGebra is a valuable tool for 3D visualization and group work in learning mathematics. He acknowledges the necessity of making its use mandatory and plans to incorporate GeoGebra into more activities throughout the semester. He also intends to use learning management systems to streamline the collection of work and facilitate student collaboration. Greg shares his experience with student feedback, noting that while they are tech-savvy, they do not necessarily have a passion for learning math for its own sake.
🎉 Closing Remarks and Acknowledgments
Greg wraps up his talk by thanking the conference organizers for the free event and the other speakers for their informative presentations. He also expresses gratitude to Amber Riddles and Dr. Tia Cooks from the CTE in particular for their assistance with the GeoGebra project. The session ends with applause, signifying the conclusion of his presentation.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡GeoGebra
💡3D Visualization
💡Worksheets
💡Integration
💡Limits of Integration
💡Stereo View
💡Interactivity
💡Computer Algebra Systems (CAS)
💡Green Red Glasses
💡Mandatory Usage
💡Group Work
Highlights
Gregory Spradlin introduces himself and his GeoGebra handle.
GeoGebra is used to assist 3D visualization in teaching calculus.
Students often struggle with visualizing in three dimensions.
GeoGebra's potential for creating visual aids and hands-on activities.
GeoGebra is free, mostly open source, and has great 3D and 2D graphics.
GeoGebra includes a built-in stereo view option for 3D visualization.
GeoGebra is highly interactive and easy to use for 3D manipulation.
GeoGebra allows for easy posting of interactive worksheets on the web.
GeoGebra may be unique in combining various features for educational use.
Gregory shares his experience using GeoGebra for calculus teaching.
Students form teams to work on 3D visualization assignments in GeoGebra.
Assignments involve finding limits of integration for different orders.
GeoGebra worksheets are provided to help students visualize the solids of integration.
Gregory discusses the importance of personalizing worksheets for students.
Students were enthusiastic and engaged with the GeoGebra activities.
Almost all teams submitted the quiz within the given time period.
Gregory observed a genuine 'aha' moment in students using GeoGebra.
The use of GeoGebra showed a significant improvement in exam performance.
Gregory learned that making GeoGebra assignments mandatory is crucial for engagement.
Future plans include more frequent use of GeoGebra and better collection methods for assignments.
Gregory thanks the conference organizers and other speakers for their contributions.