Visualization

VISUALIZATION [V]
Visualization “involves thinking in pictures and images, and the ability to perceive, transform and recreate different aspects of the visual-spatial world” (Armstrong, 1993, p. 10). The use of visualization in the study of mathematics provides students with opportunities to understand mathematical concepts and make connections among them.

Visual images and visual reasoning are important components of number, spatial and measurement sense. Number visualization occurs when students create mental representations of numbers.

Being able to create, interpret and describe a visual representation is part of spatial sense and spatial reasoning. Spatial visualization and spatial reasoning enable students to describe the relationships among and between 3-D objects and 2-D shapes.

Measurement visualization goes beyond the acquisition of specific measurement skills. Measurement sense includes the ability to determine when to measure and when to estimate and involves knowledge of several estimation strategies (Shaw and Cliatt, 1989, p. 150).

Visualization is fostered through the use of concrete materials, technology and a variety of visual representations. It is through visualization that abstract concepts can be understood concretely by the student. Visualization is a foundation to the development of abstract understanding, confidence and fluency.

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