Teaching Viable Argumentation and Measuring the Effects
How do we encourage referent-based mathematical argumentation without encouraging students to request that examples accompany otherwise viable arguments? Assessment concerns are explored and discussed.
The LAMP project has developed a sequence of lessons in a hypothetical learning trajectory that targets students’ ability to write viable arguments in algebraic contexts. Most of the lessons encourage students to produce a referent (e.g., variable expression or equation, generic example, diagram) as the foundation of their argument. Students come to the lessons with a predisposition for example production in support of their claims and to augment arguments.