For thousands of years before the invention of reliable clocks, humans measured their days by the motion of the sun. Astronomically, one day was the length of time it took for the sun to return to the same position in the sky. With the advent of precise mechanical chronometers such as Harrison's timekeepers (Sobel and Andrewes 1998), which ran at…

Before the advent of microcomputer-based labware (MBL), "time-of-flight" measurements for the speed of a transverse pulse on a string required elegant apparatus. This paper describes how to use an off-the-shelf MBL force sensor and a computer to perform the measurement. The data shown in this paper were collected using Vernier Software's wireless…

Since technology has taken its place in almost all classrooms in schools and colleges across the country, there is a need to know how technology influences the mathematics that is taught and how students learn. In this study, the graphing calculator (GC) (namely the Texas Instruments TI-83) was implemented as a tool to enhance learning of function…

The long-running debate over whether students should be allowed to wield calculators during mathematics exams may soon seem quaint. The latest dilemma facing professors is whether to let students turn to a Web site called WolframAlpha, which not only solves complex math problems, but also can spell out the steps leading to those solutions. In…

Although a plethora of research evidence highlights positive and significant outcomes of the incorporation of the Graphing Calculator (GC) in mathematics education, its use in the teaching and learning process appears to be limited. The obvious need to revisit the teaching and learning of Probability has resulted in this study, i.e. to incorporate…

This study compares the respective achievement of students in an integrated algebra course taught with two different types of handhelds over a period of one year. The experimental group was taught with TI-Nspire[TM] handhelds and was compared to the control group taught with TI-84 Plus graphing calculators. The teachers of each group received…

Technology can help develop understanding of abstract mathematical concepts through visualisation and graphic representation. The teaching and learning of calculus can be challenging as it involves abstract and complex ideas. The purpose of this study was to investigate how students and teachers attempt to use TI-Nspire, the latest graphing…

The goal of this study was to determine whether adult students incarcerated at a large correctional facility in New England use the provided scientific calculator appropriately when taking the Official GED Practice Test in mathematics. 13 students were interviewed after taking a practice test and asked for their strategy for solving each problem.…

Incorporating and using technology in teaching mathematics can encourage students to become active participants in the classroom. This paper gives a brief overview of several technologies that can be used to enhance learning and motivate students to become engaged in the learning process. The technologies discussed include graphing calculators and…

We illustrate and discuss the method, called CORDIC, which many hand calculators use to calculate the trigonometric and other functions.

The paper reports on the introduction of the graphics calculator into three centralised examination systems, which were located in Denmark, Victoria (Australia) and the International Baccalaureate. The introduction of the graphics calculator required those responsible for writing examination questions to consider how to assess mathematical skills…

This article shares some personal reflections on several years of integrating educational technology into mathematics courses while retaining the direct interaction strengths of the traditional classroom.

The potential for digital technologies to enhance students' mathematics learning is widely recognised, and use of computers and graphics calculators is now encouraged or required by secondary school mathematics curriculum documents throughout Australia. However, previous research indicates that effective integration of technology into classroom…

Graphing bivariate data in a scatter plot and drawing an approximate line of best fit for the data have become commonly recommended activities for middle school and high school students. The graphing calculator has provided a mechanism for students both to approximate a best-fit line and to calculate the best-fit line using a built-in option. Two…

In this technology-oriented age, teachers face daily decisions regarding the use of advanced digital technologies--graphing calculators, dynamic geometry software, blogs, wikis, podcasts and the like--to enhance student mathematical understanding in their classrooms. In this case study, the authors use the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content…