Inquiry-Reflective Learning Environments and the Use of the History of Artifacts as a Resource in Mathematics Education

Abstract

In this paper we explore the possibility of using the historical development of cognitive artifacts as a resource in mathematics education. We present three examples where the introduction of new artifacts has played a role in the development of a mathematical theory. Furthermore, we present a methodological approach for using original sources in the classroom. The creation of an inquiry-reflective learning environment in mathematics is a significant element of this methodology. It functions as a mediating link between the theoretical analysis of sources from the past and a classroom practice where the students are invited into the workplace of past mathematicians through history. We illustrate our methodology by applying it to the use of artifacts in original sources, hereby introducing a first version of such an inquiry-reflective learning environment in mathematics through history.