Focusing on inscriptions leads to a change in the location of representing activities from individual minds to social arenas and to different arrangements for classroom teaching. The article starts with an example where the work of two students is illustrated with their conversation and their cascade of inscriptions of increasingly general nature. Net zoals in See Roth, Wolff-Michael, Kenneth Tobin verwijzen ze voor de relatie tussen inscription and that which is expressed naar Wilson's couplet [nature <--> mathematical structure] of zoals ze later schrijven: [world <--> inscription]. This relationship is the result of considerable representational work rather than an a priori existing identity relation. Scientists interpretations of inscriptions emerge from an iterative, dialectic process in which signs and referents are used in a mutually elaborative fashion. The authors refer to boundary objects when the inscriptions are used across several communities of practice.
Evolution of science and mathematics was tied to evolution of inscription practices.
Focus on inscriptions offers new opportunities for realizing authentic learning and bridging gaps between representations in scientific communities and at school.
Student must be familiar with the inscription practice and with the physical situation that is the referent.
In designing curriculum materials you need to pay particular attention to the tools students are to use for producing inscriptions. Each tool has its own set of affordances for the kind of activity in which students engage.
The authors consider two types of tools: paper and pencil tools and computer tools and they think there is much to be gained from the latter.
When they speak of "their cascade of inscriptions of increasingly general nature". I think it is a problem-specific, more or less, general nature.
Wel aardige analyses, weinig over consequenties en voorbeelden van lesmateriaal. Vooral weinig over het sturen van intuitieve-leerling-inscripties naar beoogde boundary objects. Een belangrijk punt van aandacht is het verschil tussen wetenschappelijke representaties en representaties in schoolboeken.
Betreffende affordances & tools zie: See Cobb, Paul .