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…

A common activity--having students collect data to measure the radius and circumference of circular objects--can be given a new twist. These data can be viewed virtually using technology. A dynamic geometry environment coupled with the powerful capabilities of a spreadsheet can greatly enhance student learning. The activity in this article…

"Report of a Workshop on the Scope and Nature of Computational Thinking" presents a number of perspectives on the definition and applicability of computational thinking. For example, one idea expressed during the workshop is that computational thinking is a fundamental analytical skill that everyone can use to help solve problems, design…

Graphing calculators facilitate learners' ability to build cognitive links between mathematical representations by providing quick access to multiple representations. This exploratory study investigated the effects of technology-enhanced instruction on student achievement, perceptions of technology use during instruction, problem-solving success,…

Many empirical investigations concerning the use of computer algebra systems (CAS) and symbolic calculators (SC) are restricted to a period of only a few weeks. They do not show long-term effects on students understanding. Therefore, a long term project (2003-2012) was started to test the use of symbolic calculators in Bavarian…

Starting in September 1999, new students at ETS were required to own the TI-92 Plus or TI-89 symbolic calculator and since September 2002, the Voyage 200. Looking back at these ten years of working with a computer algebra system on every student's desk, one could ask whether the introduction of this hand-held technology has really forced teachers…

The study reviewed in this paper examined the impact of offering financial aid informational materials on the postsecondary expectations of high school students. Approximately 5,000 students from five low-achieving high schools in Ontario, Canada, were invited to complete an online survey about their postsecondary aspirations. About 1,600 students…

The purpose of this study was to use differential item functioning (DIF) and latent mixture model analyses to explore factors that explain performance differences on a large-scale mathematics assessment between examinees allowed to use a calculator or who were afforded item presentation accommodations versus those who did not receive the same…

In two experiments, we studied how people's strategy choices emerge through an initial and then a more considered evaluation of available strategies. The experiments employed a computer-based paradigm where participants solved multiplication problems using mental and calculator solutions. In addition to recording responses and solution times, we…

Computer-based instruction (CBI) programs have been implemented in classrooms for almost three decades. One advantage of CBI includes allowing the user to tailor instruction to their particular style of learning (Slavin & Lake, 2009). An essential part of individualizing CBI involves the students use of active electronic support tools, which…

As an undergraduate in the 1960s, the author mostly used a slide rule for calculations and a Marchant-brand motor-operated mechanical calculator for statistics. This was after an elementary education replete with learning multiplication tables and taking speed and accuracy tests in arithmetic. Times have changed and assuming even basic calculation…

When teaching mathematics with technology, the author does so in the belief that technology enables students to experience mathematical ideas in a way that might not otherwise be possible. However, teachers must be careful: Sometimes technology does not produce results in the way that they or their students expect. Rather than allowing unexpected…

Teaching mathematics using graphic calculators has been an issue of didactic discussions for years. Finding ways in which graphic calculators can enrich the development process of creative activity in mathematically gifted students between the ages of 16-17 is the focus of this article. Research was conducted using graphic calculators with…

Most mathematical functions can be represented in numerous ways. The main representations typically addressed in school, often referred to as "the big three," are graphical, algebraic, and numerical representations, but there are others as well (e.g., diagrams, words, simulations). These different types of representations "often illuminate…