The Research Team
Professor Carmel Diezmann | Professor Tom Lowrie
Professor Carmel Diezmann
Professor Carmel Diezmann is Assistant Dean (Research) at Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
Professor Diezmann is particularly interested in the cognition and creativity of individuals and groups in a broad range of educational contexts. Her research includes the learning and achievement of academics, teachers, and higher degree students; the role of information graphics in mathematics instruction, investigations and assessment; curriculum innovation and assessment in mathematics and science education; and the education of gifted individuals.
Carmel has been awarded three ARC Discovery grants to investigate visual representation in mathematics.
- 2008-2011. Improving numeracy outcomes and mathematics capability: Understanding young students' interpretation of graphics (Diezmann & Lowrie, $300 000)
- 2004-2007. How primary school students become code-breakers of information graphics in mathematics (Diezmann & Lowrie, $233 000)
- 2002-2005. A longitudinal study of the development of primary students' knowledge about the properties of spatially-oriented diagrams (Diezmann, $206 000)
Some of Carmel’s publications on visual representation follow:
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (2009) The role of fluency in a mathematics item with an embedded graphic: Interpreting a pie chart. ZDM: The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 41(5), 651-662.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (2008) Graphics and the National Numeracy Tests. In 31st Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, June 28 - July 01, 2008, St Lucia, Brisbane.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (2006) Primary students' reasoning about diagrams: The building blocks of matrix knowledge. In Novotna, J., Moraova, H., Kratka, M., & Stehlikova, N. (Eds.) 30th Annual Psychology of Mathematics Education Conference: Mathematics in the centre, 16-21 July 2006, Prague.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (2005) Assessing Primary Students’ Knowledge of Networks, Hierarchies and Matrices using Scenario-Based Tasks. In Clarkson, P., Downton, A., Gronn, D., Horne, M., McDonagh, A., Pierce, R., et al. (Eds.) 28th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Sydney.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (2005) Primary students’ knowledge of the properties of spatially-oriented diagrams. In Chick, H.L. & Vincent, J.L. (Eds.) 30th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Melbourne.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (2005) The impact of primary students' informal experiences on their diagrammatic knowledge. In Goos, M., Kanes, C., & Brown, R. (Eds.) Mathematics Education and Society Conference, 2005, Gold Coast.
- Diezmann, C. M. (2003). Windows into mathematics teaching through data maps. In L. Bragg et al (Eds.), Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference of the Maths Education Research Group of Australasia (pp.246-253). MERGA: Sydney.
- Diezmann, C. M. (2002). Enhancing students’ problem solving through diagram use. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 7(3), 4-8.
- Diezmann, C. M., & English, L. D. (2001). Promoting the use of diagrams as tools for thinking. In A. A. Cuoco (Ed.), 2001 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Yearbook: The role of representation in school mathematics (pp.77-89).Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (2000) Making sense with diagrams: Students' difficulties with feature-similar problems. In 23rd Annual Conference of Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 2000, Freemantle.
- Diezmann, C. M., & Watters, J. J. (2000). Identifying and supporting spatial intelligence in young children. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 1(3), 299-313.
- Diezmann, C. M. (2000). The difficulties students experience in generating diagrams for novel problems. In T. Nakahara & M.Koyama (Eds.), Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (vol. 2, pp. 241-248). Hiroshima, Japan: International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education.
- Diezmann, Carmel Mary (1998) The effect of instruction on children's use of diagrams in novel problem solving. PhD thesis, Queensland University of Technology.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (1997) The Effect of Instruction on Students' Generation of Diagrams. In Biddulph, Fred & Carr, Ken (Eds.) 20th Annual Conference of Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia : People in mathematics education, 1997, Rotorua, New Zealand.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (1996) The similarity between geometry and conceptual domains as spatial environments. In Zevenbergen, R. (Ed.) Mathematics Education Lecturers' Conference, July 1996, Melbourne.
- Diezmann, Carmel M. (1995) Evaluating the effectiveness of the strategy 'Draw a diagram' as a cognitive tool for problem solving. In 18th Annual Conference of Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Darwin.
Professor Tom Lowrie
Professor Tom Lowrie is Director of RIPPLE (Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education).
A substantial body of Tom’s research is associated with spatial sense, particularly children’s use of spatial skills and visual imagery to solve mathematics problems. He has written chapters on the way in which young children develop space and measurement concepts in the book Mathematics for children: Challenging children to think mathematically and has been the Editor of the Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom journal. Tom’s research also explores the influence authentic problems have on the ‘culture’ of the mathematics classroom.
Tom has been awarded two Australian Research Council Discovery grants to investigate visual representation in mathematics:
- 2008-2011. Improving numeracy outcomes and mathematics capability: Understanding young students' interpretation of graphics (Diezmann & Lowrie, $300 000)
- 2004-2007. How primary school students become code-breakers of information graphics in mathematics (Diezmann & Lowrie, $233 000)
Some of Tom’s articles on imagery and authentic problem solving follow:
- Lowrie, T., & Logan, T. (2007). Using spatial skills to interpret maps: Problem solving in realistic contexts. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom 12(4), 14-19.
- Clancy, S., & Lowrie, T. (2006). Multiliteracies: New pathways into digital worlds. International Journal of Learning 12(7), 141-146.
- Lowrie, T. (2005). Problem solving in technology rich contexts: Mathematics sense making in out-of-school environments. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 24(3-4), 275-286.
- Lowrie, T. & Clancy, S. (2003). Narrative Constructions from Multimodal Texts. International Journal of Learning, 10 (article 93).
- Lowrie, T. (2002). The influence of visual and spatial reasoning in interpreting simulated 3D worlds. International Journal of Computers in Mathematical Learning, 7(3), 301-318.
- Lowrie, T. (2002). Young children posing problems: The influence of teacher intervention on the type of problems children pose. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 14(2), 97-98.
- Lowrie, T. (2002). Designing a framework for problem posing: Young children generating open-ended tasks. Contemporary Issues in Childhood Education, 3(3), 354-364.
- Lowrie, T., & Clements, M.A. (2001). Visual and nonvisual processes in grade 6 students’ mathematical problem solving. International Journal for Childhood Education, 16(1), 77-94.
- Lowrie, T. & Kay, R. (2001). Task representation: The relationship between visual and nonvisual solution methods and problem difficulty in elementary school mathematics. Journal of Educational Research, 94(4), 248-253.
- Lowrie, T. (2000). A case of a reluctance to visualize. Focus on Learning Problems in Mathematics, 29(1), 17-26.