WIRIS quizzes are an online mathematics tool for educational purposes that upgrade Moodle quizzes and allow the development of personalized quizzes using random data and conditional instructions. WIRIS quizzes can be used in any mathematics or science degree; their complex operators allow it to be used to solve electrical circuits. This tool…

When a Computer Algebra System (CAS) is used as a pedagogical and functional tool in class and as a functional tool in exams, its effect on student achievement can be quite profound. The timing of when students are first introduced to a CAS has an impact on gains in student achievement. In this action research project, the CAS calculator was…

This report provides an update on the state of the research on testing accommodations as well as to identify promising future areas of research. Previous reports by NCEO have covered research published since 1999. We summarize the research to review current research trends and enhance understanding of the implications of accommodations use in the…

Although in some schools cell phones have to be turned off or perhaps kept in lockers to avoid misuse, the authors hope to demonstrate in this article how they can be used under supervision to assist learning. This ubiquitous device can be a powerful classroom tool. (Contains 2 figures.)

We used population-based, longitudinal data to investigate the relation between mathematics instructional practices used by first-grade teachers in the United States and the mathematics achievement of their students. Factor analysis identified four types of instructional activities (i.e., teacher-directed, student-centered,…

For almost all students, what happens when they push buttons on their calculators is essentially magic, and the techniques used are seemingly pure wizardry. In this article, the author draws back the curtain to expose some of the mathematics behind computational wizardry and introduces some fundamental ideas that are accessible to precalculus…

Three calculator tests were administered to a national sample of 1,469 Irish students in Grade 9--the last cohort to study mathematics without calculators (Phase 1). Three years later, the same tests were administered to a similar sample with calculators (Phase 2). Scores on a test of calculator-inappropriate items showed no significant change…

We focus on the identification of differential item functioning (DIF) when more than two groups of examinees are considered. We propose to consider items as elements of a multivariate space, where DIF items are outlying elements. Following this approach, the situation of multiple groups is a quite natural case. A robust statistics technique is…

This book's 28 chapters are adapted and updated from articles published in NCTM's "Journal for Research in Mathematics Education" between 2000 and 2010. The authors have rewritten and revised their work to make it clear, understandable, and--most of all--useful for mathematics teachers today. To help teachers even more, these articles…

The Program for International Assessment tested students in mathematics from 41 countries and found that students in the United States ranked in the lowest percentile. This struggle with math among youth in the United States prompted this quasi-experimental quantitative study about using interactive technology to engage and motivate 9th grade…

All common fractions can be written in decimal form. In this Discovery article, the author suggests that teachers ask their students to calculate the decimals by actually doing the divisions themselves, and later on they can use a calculator to check their answers. This article presents a lesson based on the research of Bolt (1982).

In this article, the authors show how students can form familiar geometric figures on the calculator keypad and generate numbers that are all divisible by a common number. Students are intrigued by the results and want to know "why it works". The activities can be presented and students given an extended amount of time to think about…

Lesson starts are transitional events which may cause management problems for teachers. This study sought junior secondary school mathematics teachers' beliefs about calculator use in mathematics instruction in Botswana and was descriptive in nature adopting a survey design. The sample of seventeen (17) mathematics teachers from four (4) junior…

Introduction: This study gathered data on methods and materials that are used to teach the Nemeth braille code, computer braille, foreign-language braille, and music braille in 26 university programs in the United States and Canada that prepare teachers of students with visual impairments. Information about instruction in the abacus and the…

Mathematics teachers face the challenge of integrating calculator use in their classrooms. Calculators provide advantages for students when performing calculations and they can provide teachers with a versatile instructional tool. Students face high-stakes mathematics tests each year in middle school and must take Regents and college entrance…