Details
Featuring: Edward M. Hubbard and Percival G. Matthews, Assistant Professors, School of Education Department of Educational Psychology
Date: February 18, 2014
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Executive Dining Room, UW-Madison Fluno Center
Media tout the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education on a daily basis, and recent research reveals that knowledge of fractions is critical as a foundation for understanding higher-order mathematics and STEM achievement.
Knowing many children and adults struggle to learn the concepts and uses of fractions, Hubbard and Matthews collaborate to explore the brain’s ability to process fractions. Their research suggests children, infants and even non-human primates can understand the basics of fractions at a very early age. How does the brain then use this information to build understanding of fractions expressed as mathematical symbols? Using Professor Hubbard’s Waisman Center laboratory, their work seeks to understand the brain mechanisms that support these abilities, possibly leading to new methods to teach these important concepts.