From Chaotic to Order: Using Chaos Game in Mathematics Teaching

Abstract

Mathematics has a structure based on concepts and operations with a certain and logical order. The discovery of this order is one of the basic elements of doing meaningful mathematics. It is very important to prepare learning environment that allow students to connect and build relationships between mathematical concepts. In this study, “chaos game†which will enable students to build relations among patterns, probability, series and limits has been introduced in detail in the process of obtaining from irregular cases to regular cases. The Chaos game was explained in detail with examples and given some explanations on why the regular shapes formed at the end of the game. Moreover, some tasks that students will be able to use their abilities such as hypothesis, mathematical connections and deduction and to make connection among some mathematical concepts such as probability, measure, patterns and numbers were formed. Reflections from students about these tasks were also included. In this context, the tasks were applied to 44 freshman students who were attending the department of elementary mathematics education in an education faculty of a state university in Central Anatolia region and some reflections from these tasks were examined. Findings showed that the tasks enabled students to use their skills such as hypothesis, observation, mathematical connections and deduction. It was also determined that the tasks enabled students to make practice on some mathematical topics such as measurement, exponential numbers, probability and patterns.