Abstract

Though black boards and white boards have been a fundamental tool in the classroom for over a century, little research has been done on how to best design and present information using these boards. My study takes visual design principles and applies them to boardwork in a mathematics classroom to better organize and clarify the content. This research shows that students notice boardwork, have strong opinions on what makes boardwork good, and that the application of design principles on boards has a significant impact on students and the teacher. Students felt their cognitive load was lightened and that they were receiving higher quality instruction and the teacher felt that using the design principles during the planning stages of the lesson reduced their cognitive load while teaching. Findings from this study can inform teachers on best practices for organizing their boardwork, serve as a template for professional development workshops, and inform curriculum for pre-service teacher education programs.

Degree

College and Department

Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Mathematics Education

Rights

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