Achieve mastery of the course topics.

Knowledge of basic mathematics taught in compulsory education and, in particular, secondary school mathematics

Introduction to the theories of learning. Specific difficulties in learning mathematics. The didactic contract. The role of textbooks. Affective and identity factors. The problem of motivation. Mathematics and the media. The public image of mathematics. The justification problem. Basic notions of psychometrics. Standardized mathematics tests. Mathematical competence. National guidelines and supranational frameworks. The didactic transposition. Models and problems. Paradigms of teaching and learning mathematics. The mathematics laboratory and problem-based learning. Ideology and mathematics. Mathematics and the school system. Critical mathematics education: proposals and limitations. Automatic learning and mathematics education.

The main references for the course are selected chapters from
Lerman, S. (2020). Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer.

We will also refer to Baccaglini-Frank, A. et al. (2017). Didattica della matematica. Mondadori Università.
Moreover, the student will be asked to read one essay chosen from the following list (in any edition or language):
- Lakoff, G., & Núñez, R. E. (2000). Where mathematics comes from: How the embodied mind brings mathematics into being. Basic Books.
- Dehaene, S. (1997). The number sense: How the mind creates mathematics. Oxford University Press.
- Gigerenzer, G. (2002). Reckoning with risk: Learning to live with uncertainty. Penguin Books.
- Huff, D. (1954). How to lie with statistics. W. W. Norton & Company.
- An alternative essay proposed by the student in coherence with the topics of the course and agreed upon by the lecturer.
Further Institutional and research material indicated by the lecturer during the lectures which will be made available to the students.
Students who do not attend the lectures are advised to contact the lecturer in advance.

Lectures with occasional flipped classroom sessions. Individual and group workshop design of learning environments and resources, and reflection on these.

The lectures are held in person and attendance is suggested. Students who do not attend the lectures are advised to contact the lecturer in advance.
Students with special needs (including those possessing valid certifications relative to disabilities, student-workers, athletes, “adult”, parents, and prisoners) who are permanently or temporarily unable to attend lectures in person due to particular circumstances, will be allowed to participate remotely upon request to the teacher. Such request, for which the student takes full personal responsibility, should be sent via email to the teacher before the beginning of the course.
For information about digital teaching at the university, please visit the following link: https://www.units.it/studenti/didattica-digitale

The exam will consist of a short series of closed or open-ended questions designed to assess knowledge and reasoning skills related to the course topics, as well as problem-solving skills combined with critical analysis of elementary mathematics problems and educational design tasks. The exam score is assigned using a scale of 30 points. The score is determined by taking into account the following elements:
• knowledge of the subject and mastery of concepts and definitions;
• ability to analyze the topics covered;
• correct use of the language;
• appropriate vocabulary and clarity of expression;
• ability to synthesize and (re)elaborate.

In order to pass the exam (i.e., to obtain a grade of at least eighteen), students must demonstrate that they have acquired sufficient knowledge of the course topics, using appropriate language.
To pass the exam (i.e., to obtain a grade of at least eighteen), students must demonstrate that they have acquired sufficient knowledge of the course topics, using appropriate language. To obtain the maximum score, students must demonstrate excellent knowledge of all course topics by means of a comprehensible presentation, enriched with critical insights, analysis, and coherent reworkings.

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