College algebra is regarded as a gatekeeper course for attaining degrees, higher paying jobs, and overall individual empowerment. Educational stakeholders have reconsidered alternative instructional approaches such as computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to curb high failure rates and increase retention rates among college algebra students. One…

Universities have drawn on an assortment of strategies to address the learning challenges and high attrition rates of developmental mathematics students. One of those strategies has been utilizing computer adaptive instruction (CAI) mathematics software. Reports about the efficacy of CAI vary from glowing to unfavorable. This article presents an…

Almost all finite groups encountered by undergraduates can be represented as multiplicative groups of concise block-diagonal binary matrices. Such representations provide simple examples for beginning a group theory course. More importantly, these representations provide concrete models for "abstract" concepts. We describe Maple lab…

This paper analyses student views on an e-learning intervention that incorporated a content development tool and computer algebra systems, aimed at improving performance and applicability of mathematics knowledge. The study deliberately relied on open source tools, with high usability both online and offline, that can be customized to address the…

As soon as a new technology emerges, the education community explores its affordances and the possibilities to apply it in education. In this article, we analyze sessions with ChatGPT around topics in basic linear algebra. We reflect on the affordances and changes between two versions of ChatGPT since its worldwide publication in our area of…

The widespread of online education is clear and the demand for online education is increasing rapidly, so the quality of offered online courses is urging. During COVID-19 restrictions, unprepared institutions, instructors, and students for online education were clear, especially in STEM. So there is a need for more research on online mathematics…

Requiring that students enrolled in college algebra to spend hours in a computer lab has been a practice in colleges and universities to improve success and retention. In part, because students come with different backgrounds, skills, and the computer lab environment allows for personalized supplemental instruction and tutoring. However, the way…

Opportunities matter when it comes to students' math attitudes and performance. Over two semesters, across treatment sections of college algebra students, we implemented a set of dynamic computer activities linking animations and graphs. Across all sections, we administered a fully online survey of students' attitudes toward math. Using mixed…

Remedial/developmental and introductory university mathematics courses have a long history of high attrition rates. Recently, university administration and mathematics departments have been considering technological solutions, and one such solution is computer-adaptive-instruction (CAI). In fact, CAI has been touted as a "silver bullet"…

The purpose of this research study was to understand how mathematics majors make sense of similar matrices, a linear algebra topic that is rich in internal and external connections, in a series of in-depth qualitative interviews in a technology-assisted (MATLAB) learning environment. The study was also an attempt to develop a cognitive theory in…

A personal overview about the use of new technologies for teaching and learning mathematics is given in this paper. We analyse the introduction of Computer Algebra Systems with learning purposes, reviewing different frameworks and didactical resources, some of them generated according the philosophy of the European Area of Higher Education.…

The purpose of this project was two-fold. First, it would provide an opportunity for students to complete the developmental math course sequence more quickly, thereby enabling students to proceed to a college-level mathematics course sooner. To accomplish this, the classroom was designed with computer-assisted homework courses that blended…

Approximately 30% of students entering West Virginia University (WVU) are not ready for college mathematics. The WVU Department of Mathematics has been tasked with remediating these students and has worked over the last decade to find the most efficient way to teach the Pre-College Algebra Workshop; the prerequisite course students must complete…

In this paper we describe the design and implementation of a technology-active introductory first year university mathematics course. The design principles underpinning the course are presented. The results of the implementation show some areas where the technology-active approach has proven of value, as well as improvements that can be made for…

In 2007 the Department of Mathematics at our institution began developing a placement process designed to identify at-risk students entering mathematics courses at the College Algebra and Calculus levels. Major changes in our placement testing process and the resulting interventions for at-risk students were put in place in Fall of 2008. At the…