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ZDM

, Volume 50, Issue 1–2, pp 315–326 | Cite as

The use of heuristic strategies in modelling activities

  • Peter Stender
Original Article
First Online:

Abstract

For students working on realistic complex modelling problems as autonomously as possible the support by a tutor is indispensable for the students. However, how this support can be realised is still a question that has not been sufficiently answered. Based on prior research, it turned out that teacher interventions based on heuristic strategies might have a high potential to support students in a way that keeps a high level of independency using Zech’s idea of strategic teacher interventions. This result led to the question of how far the heuristic strategies known from problem-solving theory appear in the modelling process. To answer this question an existing reconstruction of the solving process of the bus stop problem was analysed with regard to these strategies. This reconstruction itself was based on videos of students working on the bus-stop-problem in the prior study. Relying on the identified heuristic strategies, strategic interventions were created that could facilitate the modelling process of the students.

Keywords

Mathematical modelling activities Heuristic strategies Modelling example 
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Copyright information

© FIZ Karlsruhe 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.University of HamburgHamburgGermany

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