This study examined the effect of using computer simulation on students' interest in algebra. A quasi-experimental design was employed. A sample of fifty-four students (age range: 12-14 years old) drawn from two schools constituted the subjects for the study. Two JSS 2 classes in each school were assigned through balloting to experimental and…

Learning and teaching algebra concepts are frequent problems for both students and teachers alike. Students struggle to learn algebra, and teachers struggle to identify the best way to teach algebra. It is recurrent that teachers use instructional methods that promote memorization, and, consequently, the learning process may prove unsatisfactory.…

This study explored the development of student's conceptual understandings of limit and derivative when utilizing specifically designed computational tools. Fourteen students from a secondary Advanced Placement Calculus AB course learned and explored the limit and derivative concepts from differential calculus using visualization tools in the…

This research study assessed the effectiveness of a three-dimensional mathematics game, DimensionM, through a pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design. Participants consisted of 437 eighth graders. The classrooms were randomly assigned either to the treatment group that utilized DimensionM as a supplement to regular classroom…

Middle school teachers' use of digital curricula incorporating dynamic technology has been found to support student learning of complex algebraic concepts. This article reports on pilot research involving collaboration among faculty from a public university's college of education, educational researchers from a nonprofit research organization, and…

Four experiments involving 180 undergraduates evaluated the effectiveness of computer graphics in improving estimates for algebra word problems. Variations in the simulation resulted in successful and unsuccessful programs as measured by the frequency with which students improved their estimates. Quality of feedback to students while learning is…

The analysis and simulation of spiral growth in plants integrates algebra and trigonometry in a botanical setting. When the ideas presented here are used in a mathematics classroom/computer lab, students can better understand how basic assumptions about plant growth lead to the golden ratio and how the use of circular functions leads to accurate…

This paper reports a study designed to probe the abstraction ability that US Algebra I students can achieve in moving the concepts rate of change and accumulation between motion and money contexts. The Algebra I students used the technologies motion detectors and Interactive Banking software during a replacement unit focused on slope, ratio, and…

Some specific uses of microcomputers in mathematics instruction are presented. Included are examples for generating data and patterns, checking, practice of various types, developing understanding, comparing results, simulation of experiments, introducing new ideas, solving problems, and extending into new areas. Brief computer programs are given.…

In an effort to increase faculty use and knowledge of computers, Oakland Community College (OCC), in Michigan, developed a Summer Technology Institute (STI), and a Computer Technology Grants (CTG) project beginning in 1989. The STI involved 3-day forums during summers 1989, 1990, and 1991 to expose faculty to hardware and software applications.…