From the early nineties, most reformed curricula at upper secondary level choose to give functions a major position and a priority over rational expressions and equations of traditional algebra. The goal of this paper is to introduce key challenges resulting from this choice and to discuss the contribution that software environments associating…

In this paper, we present the results of an experimental sequence of classroom activities on geometric transformations, proposed to high-school students. The activity is based on the use of a dynamic geometry system. Planned by a group of four people, two university professors and two research teachers, the activity has been elaborated together…

This article describes 11 papers in which the authors report their research on technology as enhancement in the teaching and learning of mathematics, in the context of the application of activity theory for design and/or analysis. There is considerable diversity across the papers in how the authors have interpreted their task and in particular how…

This paper looks at research based models that have been put forward to describe how teacher use of technology develops. There have been a variety of studies that have proposed levels that describe teacher use of technology and identify the different aspects of use that distinguish these levels. Very few of these studies have shown how teachers…

A teaching innovation for first year engineering students' was designed to involve inquiry-based questions, an electronic graphical medium, small group activity and modifications to assessment. The use of an inquiry approach was intended to encourage students' deeper engagement with mathematics and more conceptual understanding. Data were…

In the last decade, there has been a notable increase in the use of ICT in the development of teaching tools and, consequently, their integration in different disciplinary areas at different educational levels. University has not escaped this reality, and although most modern technological means are far from being available in every classroom--at…

Coming from the Macsyma system and adapted to the Common Lisp standard, Maxima can be regarded as a tool for a frequent use in the mathematics classroom. The main aim of this work is to show some possibilities of Maxima and its graphical interface through our experience as Mathematics teachers in Business degrees, although it can be easily spread…

This paper analyses the role of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) in a model of learning based on competences. The proposal is an e-learning model Linear Algebra course for Engineering, which includes the use of a CAS (Maxima) and focuses on problem solving. A reference model has been taken from the Spanish Open University. The proper use of CAS is…

This study sought to examine the development of prospective secondary mathematics teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge as they worked individually and in small groups to develop and present lessons with dynamic mathematics software. In a three-semester long study, data were collected from 68 prospective secondary mathematics…

More than twenty years after the introduction of the first handheld graphing calculator the mathematics community appears to still be struggling with the use of technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics. One major venue for arguments against technology use in the teaching and learning of mathematics is the news magazines of…

For most people, including students, it is not easy to have a good grasp of the basic terms in the field of finance and of their interrelations, in particular due to the fact that the offer for financial products keeps changing and its statement is frequently unclear, insincere and confusing. The Pedagogical Faculty of the University of South…

Many developed nations have a serious problem with a shortage in the supply of numerate graduates, fuelled by their school students' negative attitudes towards their future study of mathematics. At the same time, the smart phone and other personal sensing technological devices are becoming commonplace amongst students in schools and universities.…

This paper describes a study aimed to identify commonly emerging impediments related to the introduction of dynamic mathematics software. We report on the analysis of data collected during a three-week professional development programme organised for middle and high school teachers in Florida. The study identified challenges that participants face…

This paper examines various cognitive strategies applied while CAS (Computer Algebra System) are used in undergraduate-level engineering mathematics teaching and learning. We posed some questions in relation to such CAS use: What kind of tools can CAS offer to enhance different cognitive strategies of students? How can the use of CAS widen the…

When working with e-teaching materials we often find that the authors of resources, meant for the use of teachers in the teaching process, do not use the opportunities offered by the new technologies. All too often the materials are a monolithic block (or at least their main part is), constructed the way an ordinary book or workbook would be. This…