Dayly language to graphic translation: a fable experience

Abstract

Problem solving involves translating languages; the translation between daily and algebraic languages has received more attention than the translation between daily and graphic languages, even though the later requires the use of higher thinking skills like selection of the information, of the relevant variables, scales, etc.  We present here an exploratory study in this item, around the skills of freshman students in the university. We employ a non-structured problem in which the students have to graph the information given in a text. We used a check list to analyse the results; these show that students have poor skills for the translation between Spanish and graphic language and they have a tendency to confuse a graph with a trajectory.