A model for the educational role of calculators (original) (raw)

Calculators and the mathematics curriculum

2012

Developers of mathematics curricula make choices regarding the kinds of technology that are to be used by students, which in turn influences the work of both students and teachers to learn and teach mathematics. This paper analyses the potential relationships between calculators and the mathematics curriculum, drawing implications for what can be learned through student access to different levels of calculators. Three different levels of calculators are considered in detail in the paper: scientific calculators, advanced scientific calculators and graphics calculators. Significant consequences of these choices are described and exemplified through a consideration of a number of mathematical topics that are commonly taught in many curricula in Asian countries.

Using Calculators in Primary Mathematics

2000

Evidence from research has proven calculators to be quite effective tools for problem solving, reinforcement of computational skills, pattern recognition, and number sense. Yet, many teachers continue to believe that they can bring more harm than good in the learning of mathematics, therefore their use for instruction should never be encouraged. This paper presents various possibilities on how the calculators

Calculators in mathematics education: A rapid evolution of tools, with differential effects

The Didactical Challenge of Symbolic Calculators Turning a Computational Device into a Mathematical Instrument, 9-40, 2005

The appearance of more and more complex tools in mathematics classes is not a response to an institutional need of school. It is, rather, the expression within this institution of a huge social phenomenon (the increase in the number of screens and machines) arising from the utilization of computerized tools by certain branches of mathematics and science.

Factors influencing students' interactions with advanced calculators

2017

There is an increasing use of and rapid advancements in technologies in education. In particular, there is a take-up of advanced calculators (graphing calculators and calculators with computer algebra system [CAS]) in senior secondary high-stakes examinations. Each year, tens of thousands of students in Australia, Singapore, and other regions, use advanced calculators in mathematics examinations that directly affect their entry into tertiary education. Thus, it was pertinent to investigate the ways in which students use these technologies when learning mathematics, and the factors that influenced them. This study was built upon a bricolage of theories from various fields such as mathematics education, educational technology, learning theories, learning styles, and gender studies. From a review of the literature in the different fields, it was hypothesised that factors such as students' gender, beliefs about and attitudes toward mathematics and technology, approaches to studying ...

Calculators in Primary Mathematics

1994

Abstract: The Calculators in Primary Mathematics Project was a long-term investigation into the effects of the introduction of calculators on the learning and teaching of primary mathematics. The Australian project commenced with children who were in kindergarten ...

Calculators as Facilitators of Understanding Computational and Mathematical Contexts

Open Education Studies, 2019

Learning is a complex phenomenon. Contemporary theories of education underline active participation of learners in their learning processes. One of the key arguments supporting this approach is the learner’s simultaneous and unconscious development of their ability of “learning to learn”. This ability belongs to the soft skills highly valued by employers today. For Mathematics Education, it means that teachers have to go beyond making calculations and memorizing formulas. We have to teach the subject in its social context. When the students start understanding the relationship between real-life problems and the role of numbers and formulas for their solutions, their learning becomes a part of their tacit knowledge. Below we explain the theoretical background of our approach and provide examples of such activities.

Calculators in Primary Mathematics: An Analysis of Classroom Activities

The Calculators in Primary Mathematics Project was a long-term investigation into the effects of the introduction of calculators on the learning and teaching of primary mathematics. The Australian project commenced with children who were in kindergarten and grade 1 in 1990, moving up through the schools to grade 4 level by 1993. Children were given their own calculators to use when they wished, while teachers were provided with some systematic professional support. Over 60 teachers and 1,000 children participated in the project. This paper examines the type of classroom activities chosen by teachers. It describes the types of uses of the calculator that have become an established part of new teaching practices. Categories of use were derived froni a variety of informal observations and a formal observation schedule used with a random sample of teachers (n=11). Three major functions for the calculator were common: for recording, for counting, and for uperating arithmetically on numbers. Contains 16 references. (MKR)

The Calculator as an Instrument of Validation of Mathematical Knowledge: A Case Study

2020

The discussions that arise when demonstration in mathematics is dealt with often cause opposing positions regarding the wisdom of its use. How can it be conducted in the classroom? How to discern which proofs enrich the academic formation of the students? If, in addition, we consider the contribution of new technology to teaching, it is necessary to reflect on how the form of validating mathematical knowledge is affected, if it is at all altered, in the classroom. In this paper several considerations on these ideas are discussed, and an experience with junior high school math teachers is described where mathematical reasoning is taught using a TI-92 calculator. A recent concern for including, in different present-day educational programs, a specific part related to demonstration. For example, in the Principles and Standards in School Mathematics: Discussion Draft (NCTM, 1998), one of the standards proposed is that of "Reasoning and Proof". Also, many recent studies focus o...

Learning and teaching mathematics with a graphic calculator

… Malaysian Math. Sc. …, 2002

The past three decades has seen many mathematics departments adopting plans for the appropriate use of instructional technology tools in the learning and teaching of mathematics, and in the assessment of mathematics learning.