Solving net-related problems with SketchUp: An undergraduate student's emerging instrumented techniques regarding the Push/pull tool

Abstract

This paper focuses on solving net-related problems with SketchUp and emerging instrumented techniques regarding the use of push/pull tool. The data were collected from a series of task-based interviews with an undergraduate mathematics education student including three tasks focused on building 3D objects from given nets. Spatial structuring and instrumental genesis are adopted as a conceptual framework, serving as a lens to analyse the participant’s use of SketchUp software to solve net problems. Our analysis reveals that (three) emerging instrumented techniques enabled participant to understand how push or pull operations on specific parts of a 3D object which could create new faces or reshape existing faces. In addition, this allowed her to plan which parts of the 3D objects would be pushed or pulled to obtain requested faces. We inferred that the developing instrumented techniques regarding the push/pull tool enabled participant to revise her spatial structuring processes related to the closure of the nets.