Although the mathematics community has long accepted the concept of limit as the foundation of modern Calculus, the concept of limit itself has been marginalized in undergraduate Calculus education. In this paper, I analyze the strategy of conceptual conflict to teach the concept of limit with the aid of an online tool--Desmos graphing calculator.…

A Graphing Calculator (GC) is one of the most portable and affordable technology in mathematics education. It quickens the mechanical procedure in solving mathematical problems and creates a highly interactive learning environment, which makes learning a seemingly difficult subject, easy. Since research on the use of GCs for the teaching and…

Derivation of the law of radioactive decay is considered without prior knowledge of calculus or the exponential series. Calculus notation and exponential functions are used because ultimately they cannot be avoided, but they are introduced in a simple way and explained as needed. (Contains 10 figures, 1 box, and 1 table.)

Traditionally, mathematics has been taught using a very direct approach which the teacher explains the procedure to solve a problem and the students use pencil and paper to solve the problem. However, a variety of alternative approaches to mathematics have surfaced from a number of different directions. The purpose of this study was to examine the…

Quantitative literacy has been recognized as an important skill in the higher education and workforce communities, focusing on problem solving, reasoning, and real-world application. As a result, there is a need by various stakeholders in higher education and workforce communities to evaluate whether college students receive sufficient training on…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the modeling of technology by mathematics professors in two universities in teaching required courses for secondary level pre-service mathematics teachers. Six professors participated in this case study. Their responses were documented in pre- and post-interviews and data were gathered from…

The solutions of the discrete logistic growth model based on a difference equation and the continuous logistic growth model based on a differential equation are compared and contrasted. The investigation is conducted using a dynamic interactive spreadsheet. (Contains 5 figures.)

Miniature handheld computers called PDAs are not only bombarding corporate America, but they are also noticeably making their mark on college campuses. The question is, how much impact are they making on the way students learn and instructors teach. These devices were born from a simple calculator and over two decades have transformed into a…

This paper presents the preliminary results of a study conducted to investigate the differences in brain hemisphericity and learning styles on students' confidence in using the graphics calculator (GC) to learn mathematics. Data were collected from a sample of 44 undergraduate mathematics students in Malaysia using Brain-Dominance Questionnaire,…

The 2006 NCTM Sixty-eighth Yearbook focuses on students' and teachers' learning in statistics centered on a set of activities. Topics include the relation between mathematics and statistics, the development and enrichment of mathematical concepts through the use of statistics, and a discussion of the research related to teaching and learning…