Error analysis of logarithm problems

Abstract

Error analysis can be a tool to predict future errors made by students, to explain how and why students make them, and to help us to resolve misconceptions in our teaching (Olivier, 1989). In the paper we categorize errors committed by first year undergraduate students in logarithm problems in a written class test. We have categorized the errors according to two dimensions, namely the type and the source of errors. By using this two- dimensional grouping, we were able to classify the majority of typical logarithm errors listed in the literature. We were able to clearly categorize the errors made during the post-test carried out later into classes based on the originally given categorization. The distribution of post-test errors was not significantly different from the original distribution.