So, as I try to narrow down and figure out exactly what my project will entail, I came up with a few topics that I might come across as I start to do research. This was part of an assignment I was doing in class and this is the list of ideas I came up with. My project revolves around how the use of math influences the brain in terms of how we think and our memory capabilities.
Math/Psychology
parts of the brain
memory storage (short-term, long-term, schemes)
knowledge transfer (applying previously learned material)
types of thinking (logical)
types of math - application (finances, banking, investing, etc)
depth of field - how far someone is into studying math (hs, college, algebra, etc)
person's interest in mathematics
way math is taught (education)
devices/techniques - acronyms, calculators, short-hand
I'm not sure what I'm expecting to get out of this list, but hopefully it will help me figure out different approaches to my project and lead me somewhere useful.
I think the first thing is to narrow down exactly what you want to look at. For example, how logical thinking influences how a person thinks and memory capabilities. Then you can research logic games or math problems and look for studies that are similar. Just pick the topic you think is most interesting, or the one with the most information.
ReplyDeleteI would also see if there is a way that you can create a poll or test that people could try, and pool your own results in, for field work.
Okay. So looking at your topic and looking at your list, I'd say that your primary focus revolves around psychology, not math, and I think you're going to have to attack it from that angle. Meaning, I think you're going to have to do a lot more research in the field of psychology than you will in the field of math. The actual nuts and bolts of mathematics will only come into play indirectly as you examine your primary focus -- how it affects the mind.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think it's a great idea, but like Jess said, you're going to have to narrow down your focus. I think skimming through some of the research in the field might give you an idea of where a lot of the research has been done up to this point, so you can figure out what specific path you want to travel down. It looks like you're interested in the mental processes behind a) logic and b) memory for math/numbers. So those would be a couple places to start leafing through studies.
I think you should first start off asking yourself, what do you want to accomplish by doing this project. Are you trying to research math and people, or math as a subject, things math influences?
ReplyDeleteI think maybe you should go the route on how math influences our brains, maybe our everyday lives. Perhaps you could show how we use different math subjects such as algebra, etc. in our everyday lives. You have a pretty broad topic and have many different angles to choose. I think this is going to be very interesting.
I like the questions everyone has posted. Wow. Impressive nudging by your classmates. I especially like Ericka's question: "What do you want to accomplish by doing this project?" Is it a tangible product (like Ali's brochure)? Is it "data" (qual or quan)? Is it a service? Is it a combination?
ReplyDeleteThis also leads to this very important question: What problem do you intend to solve by doing this research? What need or "hole" is this project filling in your field of study? What questions are people NOT asking, or what questions persist, that you want to tackle?
It's almost like you need to "pan out," like a filmmaker, back away from the scene to get the bigger picture. Move away from math and back to yourself and your intentions here...Ericka also does a good job pointing out the different types of research you're mentioning..."math and people" or "math as a subject/concept/field of study in school."