A structure for learning the connections among standard deviations, z-scores, and normal distributions is presented. The components of this structure are classified into intuitive or previously learned conceptual knowledge, computational knowledge, and formalized conceptual knowledge. (Contains 1 figure.)

Powerful geometric software has been available to education for around 20 years but has not had the impact on teaching and learning of mathematics, science and technology that might have been expected. This is in contrast to the widespread adoption of software tools in the world outside education which use geometric algorithms to produce visual…

We provide an overview of the Calculus Pilot Project that was undertaken by the Rochester Institute of Technology in the 2001 and 2002 academic years. A brief discussion of demographics is followed by a description of three specific steps that, in concert, increased student success rates by over 16%. (Contains 3 tables and 5 figures.)

It is important for future teachers of mathematics to distinguish between technology as course content to be taught and technology as a teaching tool. This exploratory study examines prospective teachers' views of the role of technology in mathematics education before, during, and after their experience in a mathematics class that focused on…

Podcasts are a great way to expand learning beyond the four walls of the classroom or library. Just imagine taking the students on a tour of the great halls of the Louvre one day and the high-altitude plains of the Peruvian altiplano the next. This and more can be done with podcasts, episodic digital files that are the 21st-century equivalent of…

Mathematics can be perceived as being a difficult subject to learn due to the conceptual leaps required to understand particular mathematical topics. In some areas of mathematics, part of the difficulty may be associated with applying sufficient imagination to visualize a particular mathematical concept, and applying sufficient visio-spatial…

The research question addressed by this study is whether or not students made effective use of dynamic geometry software to explore the validity of a geometrical statement. Particular attention was paid to the use of definitions and the types of justifications students employed. Interviews conducted with six secondary mathematics preservice…

The title may appear daunting, but the exercises, which can be presented to students from middle school to graduate school, are not. The exercises center on creating fractal images in the xy-plane with free. easy-to-use software and questions appropriate to the level of the student.

This article describes teachers working collaboratively to plan mathematics lessons in a technology-rich environment. Addressing the needs of their diverse students, in particular, English Language Learners and students with special needs, the authors discuss how a technology-rich learning environment influences critical features of the classroom.…

As the pedagogical-effectiveness of information technology (IT) in mathematics education is carefully established the topic of discourse among mathematicians and mathematics educators is no longer a dispute about whether or not to use IT in the teaching and learning of mathematics but a shift to some debate about the when and how of its usage.…

The LOGO Project, funded by the Texas Education Agency, is designed to not only increase participants' knowledge of technology to teach mathematics but to enhance their self-efficacy and self-determination, or the beliefs that individuals have about their ability to succeed and their motivation for involvement in the task, as well. The purpose of…

For many years, education researchers excited by the potential for digital technologies to transform mathematics teaching and learning have predicted that these technologies would become rapidly integrated into every level of education. However, recent international research shows that technology still plays a marginal role in mathematics…

An understanding of past technological advancements can help educators understand the influence of new technologies in education. Inventions such as the abacus, logarithms, the slide rule, the calculating machine, computers, and electronic calculators have all found their place in mathematics education. While new technologies can be very useful,…

The Sixth International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-6) was special in that it provided a context commemorating the life and work of George Polya (1887-1985) whose native land was Hungary and to whom all those interested in the teaching of mathematical problem solving owe a great debt. What follows in this publication is a collection…

Two classes of third grade pupils in similar schools participated in this study. One class used a computer-based mathematical diagnosis program to analyze systematic errors. The teacher used this information to conduct error correction periods. The other class used a traditional approach without error correction periods. Results are presented.…