The Symbol Grounding Problem

The focus of the third annual Symposium of the Mathematics Education Centre is understanding how mathematical symbols, such as Arabic numerals or number words, gain meaning, often called the “symbol grounding problem”. 

The symbol grounding problem lies at the heart of models of numerical cognition and has important implications for the ways in which we support children’s number development. 

This symposium will bring together researchers who are employing a range of methodologies to investigate this question to present and discuss the latest findings and developments in the field.