TMI in the GCF and LCD of MATH: TTYL, PEMDAS!!

If we could tweet and text math, we would say things like “Need LCD, remove GCF, remember PEMDAS”.  Wait a minute, we already say those things.  Seems like math classes are ahead of the curve on not communicating well.  Let’s look a little deeper.

The human brain has some limitations that impact how well acronyms work in communication; as a teacher, I would say that communicating with acronyms tends to keep the information processing at the surface level — translating the acronym in to the words — rather than connecting ideas to important concepts.  We say “you need an LCD to add fractions” and have to remind students that an LCD is not needed for multiplying fractions.  Perhaps we would improve our instruction if we banned acronyms.

I’ve tried taking a compromise approach in my intermediate algebra class, where we are currently taking the test on rational expressions.  We use the label “LCD” after we’ve shown that terms need something in common before adding and subtracting.  I’d like to say that the approach improves student learning, but that is not likely to be measurable — partly because it is such a challenge to get students to reason mathematically instead of memorizing rules for getting answers.

Within five to ten years, we will have a different curriculum for most of our students (STEM and not-STEM) where we provide a better mathematical experience for all students.  In the meantime, many of us will struggle with better understanding in our students.  It might help to say “TTYL” (talk to you later) to all acronyms, as much as we can manage.

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categories Content of developmental math courses, Learning math | | datetime October 16, 2012 2:57 pm

1 Comment

  • By schremmer, October 16, 2012 @ 3:31 pm

    How about 2 apples + 3 bananas is not an addition. Here, + really means “and”.
    But then if apples can be exchanged for tomatoes at the rate of 5 tomatoes per apple and bananas can be exchanged for tomatoes at the rate of 7 tomatoes per banana, then 2 apples + 3 bananas can be exchanged for 2×5 tomatoes + 3×7 tomatoes = 31 tomatoes.
    This is the beginning of linear algebra as 2 apples + 3 bananas is really a vector.
    It would be nice if either mathematics or urls were implemented here.
    Regards
    –schremmer

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