Educational multi-touch applications, number sense, and the homogenizing role of the educator

Abstract

As part of an educational project proposed in Italian preschools, an educator followed a tested protocol proposing two chosen iPad apps to children of ages 5 to 6. Though her interventions were supposedly aimed at strengthening the number sense of the children, the result was a homogenization of their schemes, in various cases seemingly inhibiting development of number sense.

Invited paper at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Hamburg, 24-31 July 2016