The problem / intent

The communicational approach to mathematical learning (Sfard, 2000; 2001; Ben-Yehuda, Lavi, Linchevski & Sfard, 2005) sees learning as the “process of changing one’s discursive ways in a certain well-defined manner” (Sfard, 2001, p 26), and consequently thinking as “a special case of the activity of communicating” (ibid, p. 27).

Some patterns in this collection

• Something to talk about
• Objects to talk with
• Post ludus
• Soft scaffolding
  

Related patterns

Follows: Construction
Leads to: Collaboration, Narrative

Note

Communication is arguable a pre-condition for Collaboration, but is by no means identical to it, or even a sufficient condition. For example, Performance might not involve any Collaboration, and still be a powerful catalyst for learning.

References

• Ben-Yehuda, M.; Lavy, I.; Linchevski, L. & Sfard, A. (2005), Doing wrong with words or What bars students’ access to arithmetical discourses , The Journal for Research in Mathemtics Education 
  
• Sfard, A. (2001), Learning mathematics as developing a discourse , in C. Speiser; C. Maher & C. Walter, ed.,'Proceedings of 21st Conference of PME-NA', Clearing House for Science, mathematics, and Environmental Education, Columbus, Ohio, pp. 23-44.
  
• Sfard, A. (2001), There is More to Discourse than Meets the Ears: Looking as Thinking as Communicating to Learn more about Mathematical Learning , Educational Studies in Mathematics 46, 46 13–57 (2001)
• Sfard, A. & Kieran, C. (2001), Cognition as Communication: Rethinking Learning-by-Talking Through Multi-Faceted Analysis of Students' Mathematical Interactions , Mind Culture and Activity 8(1), 42-76. 
• Kieran, C.; Forman, E. & Sfard, A., ed. (2002), Learning Discourse , Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht