Students’ exploration of tangible geometric models: focus on shifts of attention

Abstract

This empirical study applies the analytical apparatus of Mason’s shifts of attention theory to investigate why and how using physical models of different scales can facilitate learning of (spatial) geometry. In the presented case study, six high school students learned the properties of icosahedron by constructing and exploring physical models. Shifts in the focus and structures of attention were associated with multimodal perception and collaborative physical actions of students with and through the models. Models of different scales landed students different affordances for exploration, facilitating noticing of invariant scale-free features of a geometric object and influencing the dynamic of student collaboration.