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…

The study we report here examines parts of what Chevallard calls the "institutional" dimension of the students' learning experience of a relatively under-researched, yet crucial, concept in Analysis, the concept of infinite series. In particular, we examine how the concept is introduced to students in texts and in teaching practice. To…

Three experiments investigated the effects of note taking on "what is learned" by college undergraduates from videotaped lectures. The results suggest that note taking can result in a broader learning outcome, rather than just more learning overall, because an assimilative encoding process is encouraged. (Author/GDC)