Two Solutions to an Unsolvable Problem: Connecting Origami and GeoGebra in a Serbian High School

Abstract

Our “Visuality & Mathematics — Experiential Education of Mathematics Through the Use of Visual Art, Science, and Playful Activities” Tempus Project started in 2012 with the cooperation of eight European universities and scientific institutions, in order to develop Serbian mathematics education with technological equipment and interactive, experience-centered, and art-related content. The general objectives of this two-year-long project are justified by the findings of the PISA 2012 survey as well, which show that 15-year old Serbian students' mathematics performance is significantly below the OECD average. For the improvement of the Serbian students' mathematical literacy and abilities, what we believe is important is research on new approaches in mathematics education and the increase of experience-centered presentations of cultural, interdisciplinary, and artistic embeddedness of mathematical knowledge, such as the creative applications of mathematics by hands-on models, in digital environments and in real-life problems, in the math class. We are not only working on the development of genuinely new content and methods in mathematics education, but are also collecting all of those estimable practices in experience-centered mathematics education in Serbia, which can be disseminated in the wide circles of Serbian mathematics teachers and can be introduced into the education of teachers as well. In this paper, we highlight efficient practice methods, which are already being applied in a Serbian high school and which connect mathematics education with origami and the open-access GeoGebra dynamic geometry software.