Numerical and Non-Numerical Aspects of Mathematics Education – A Case for Sense-Making

MSI Colloquium, where the school comes together for afternoon tea before one speaker gives an accessible talk on their subject

schedule Date & time
Date/time
7 Sep 2023 4:00pm - 7 Sep 2023 5:00pm
person Speaker

Speakers

Dr Khalid Khan
next_week Event series

Event series

contact_support Contact
Brett Parker, Ian Le

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Description

 

About the speaker:

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Dr Khalid Khan

Dr Khalid Khan is a Senior Lecturer in Education-Mathematics at the Faculty of Arts and Society at Charles Darwin University in Australia. He has a strong track record of research publications and presenting papers on topics ranging from Differential Geometry to Data Literacy, Questioning, 21st-Century Skills, Sense-making in Mathematics, and STEM Education. His work under pure mathematics has recently been cited in a World Scientific monograph on Wrapped Product Manifolds. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals and as a referee for numerous research periodicals.

He is also the Honorary Treasurer of the Northern Territory Branch of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and the Vice Chair of the Darwin Chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM). His research focuses on digital technology, mathematics, questioning formulation, educational challenges in the post-truth world, data Literacy and sense-making in STEM.

Abstract:

In this talk, the speaker will discuss on his journey as a pure mathematician who, of late, ventured into the field of mathematics education. As an observer, he will talk about the issues resulting from a need for more clarity in understanding numeracy education at the school level and consider some of the underlying foundational structures of mathematics pedagogy, mathematical thinking, and current challenges. The purpose is to open a conversation about shifting the focus from the narrower conceptual boundaries concerning numeracy and mathematics in our school education.

One of the challenges for a discipline concerns effective communication of its scope. While it is arguably the case that in the early years of education, foundational skill development based upon numeracy and literacy is essential, there are other urgent considerations as we leave 1st quarter and advance further into 21st-century teaching and learning – in particular- are there any new and essential skills required that extend well beyond the standard and common notions of numeracy and literacy. While non-numerical aspects of mathematics can be thought of in terms of a capacity for abstraction, critical thinking, and problem-solving, the scope of speaker's talk presents a case for sense-making and questioning as fundamental.

In briefly considering theoretical perspectives, the speaker will present some specific examples that he use in his classes to contextualise mathematics education and discuss some basic parameters for shifting the focus from numeracy in mathematics education to Data Literacy. With data ubiquity now characterising our age, what questions must we ask to determine its precise literacy scope?

 

Afternoon tea will be provided at 3:30pm

 

Location

Seminar Room 1.33, Building 145, Science Road, ANU