Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics?

The study of students’ use of representations is one of the main topics of physics education research and is guided by the overarching field of semiotics. In this paper we compare two semiotic frameworks, one coming from didactics of mathematics and one from physics education research; the theory of registers of semiotic representations and social semiotics, using the networking of theories methodology. A group of first year university students were audio and video recorded as they discussed concepts relating to thermal energy, a study that will be further explored in an upcoming paper. We find that analyzing the recorded data using two different semiotic perspectives provides a wider interpretation of students’ representational use, a descriptive approach to how students use the representations, and an approach to the cognitive aspects of the construction of knowledge. By comparing the theoretical constructs they employ, and how they are employed in the analysis process, we identify constructs that both frameworks have in common, but also where they differ. We have found that each semiotic theory provides a different perspective regarding students’ representational use. We also propose that comparing different theories may provide a space for complementing the constructs of each theory and providing a bigger picture to understand students’ representational use in physics and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education areas.

Figure 1

Within each semiotic system, blue squares, exists many different semiotic resources, red squares.

Figure 2

A transduction is performed between the semiotic systems “text” and “image.”

Figure 3

Two semiotic representations of the same underlying mathematical object. Both semiotic representations are part of the same semiotic register: the algebraic register. On the left is the spoken form and on the right is the written form of the algebraic register.

Figure 4

A conversion between the graphical register and the algebraic register. The difficulty of performing a conversion has been shown to depend on the direction of the conversion. Here the conversion is between a field line representation of an electric field and the formulaic representation of the field. Students must recognize that both semiotic representations aim to represent the same mathematical object.

Figure 5

Different areas that could be analyzed. With the social semiotics approach on the yellow side and the theory of representations of semiotic registers on the blue side. Image created by Dr. Elias Euler for this paper.

Figure 6

Students discuss and solve the task together using the Zoom annotate function where they can draw and write using different shapes and colors. In the above example, two students discussed “How would you describe the concept of thermal energy to a classmate?” and drew representations of molecules in motion.

Figure 7

Fredrik writes down the formula for thermal energy, $Q=m{C}_v\mathrm{\Delta }T$, but also modifies it by adding arrows and words to explain it. Fredrik unpacks the representation and highlights different aspects, so that it will be easier to discern the meaning of the formula.

Figure 8

Fredrik copies the formula, but without engaging with the semiotic material.

Figure 9

Hela’s sketch as constructed in Table 5. Hela has just added action lines to the molecule on the top left corner; line 21 in the transcript.