We examined the recollections by first-year technical college students of concepts in Descriptive Geometry four months after they had studied the subject; furthermore, we compared the relative efficiency between group of students who had been helped in their studies by computer programs and those who had used the traditional paper-and-pencil…

Online homework is unable to provide the detailed feedback of paper and pencil assignments. However, immediate feedback is an advantage that online assessments provide. A research study was conducted that focused on the effects of immediate feedback; students in 5 sections of a Pre-calculus course were participants. Three sections were randomly…

The assessment of degree level engineering mathematics students using the computer-aided assessment package MapleTA is discussed. Experience of academic and practical issues for both online coursework and examination assessments is presented, hopefully benefiting other academics in this novel area of activity. (Contains 6 figures and 1 table.)

Teacher education programs continue to be challenged to prepare prospective teachers to integrate technology into the day-to-day instruction and to strive to instil dispositions of openness to experimentation with ever-evolving technological tools and their pervasive impact on mathematics education. In this paper several activities are used to…

The study of a real function of two real variables can be supported by visualisation using a Computer Algebra System (CAS). One type of constraint of the system is due to the algorithms implemented, yielding continuous approximations of the given function by interpolation. This often masks discontinuities of the given function and can provide very…

This paper details the motivation, background, and analysis for studying the effect that an Increasing Achievement on Algebra Assessment (IAAA) workshop for a group of Florida high school teachers had on student performance in state-wide testing. The main focus of the workshop was to provide participating teachers with both instruction and…

This paper opens up a debate about policy and practice in computer-assisted assessment (CAA) of mathematics for undergraduates with specific learning difficulties e.g. dyslexia. Guidelines for designing assessments for such students are emerging and some may be transferable to CAA. Whether mathematics brings with it particular issues is unclear.…

Computer algebra systems (CASs) have been used by thousands of teachers and students for teaching and learning algebra. They have the ability to perform efficiently almost all of the algebraic expansions and simplifications. Nevertheless, the traditional approach of using paper and pencil in acquiring procedural knowledge is still widely…

This paper reports on a study that examined if it is possible to start teaching algorithmic problem solving as early as elementary school, given the condition that studying mathematics is augmented by suitable use of computer technology. Three pre-service teachers, enrolled on a course on algorithmic problem solving in mathematics and who were…

The advent of the World Wide Web is affecting many aspects of education, with claims that its use can transform the way students learn and are taught. WebQuest, the name given to an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web, is being suggested as a means of enhancing learning. This…

This report is focused on the use of affective pointers (acknowledgements and hedges) detected in exchanges between learners and tutors on asynchronous mathematics online help sites. In this environment, both students and tutors use feedback in form of acknowledgements to control communication and assess its success. Hedges, or insecurities, point…

This article considers research and scholarship on the use of computer algebra in mathematics education following the instrumentation and the anthropological approaches. It outlines what these approaches are, positions them with regard to other approaches, examines tensions between the two approaches and makes suggestions for how work in this…

Reactions to John Monaghan's "Computer Algebra, Instrumentation and the Anthropological Approach" focus on a variety of issues related to the ergonomic approach (instrumentation) and anthropological approach to mathematical activity and practice. These include uses of the term technique; several possibilities for integration of the two approaches;…

The title describes two challenges with which mathematics teachers nowadays have to deal concerning their classroom-arrangements: new teaching methods and integrating computers. Many teachers are afraid that when realising both trends, curricular prescriptions can become even more difficult to achieve. Changes in the classroom-arrangements and…

The relationship between teachers and Computer Algebra Systems is generally problematic. The extensive capabilities of CAS provide opportunities for learning but also bring a new complexity that makes it difficult for teachers to take advantage of these opportunities. Barzel's paper contrasts with this observation: in a "Lernwerkstatt"…