| This study took place in the mathematics department of a large public Midwestern university. The purpose of the study was to explore students' experiences in advanced (post-calculus) Mathematica-based courses, and to investigate whether their learning styles were accommodated in a laboratory approach to teaching mathematics. One hundred eighty undergraduate students from both Calculus & Mathematica, and traditional curricula participated in the study. A researcher-designed survey was used to explore students' experiences, and the Gregorc Style Delineator was used to determine their learning styles.;The results of this study indicated that Calculus & Mathematica was successful in effectively using instructional technology; offering concept-based lessons that enhance students' understanding; creating an effective classroom atmosphere; and strengthening students' ability in areas such as problem solving, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and communicating mathematically. Students' views about Calculus & Mathematica and the traditional approach of teaching mathematics significantly differed favoring the first.;On the other hand, it was found that Calculus & Mathematica could accommodate all learning styles as measured by the Gregorc Style Delineator. Both ANOVA and correlational analyses revealed no significant relationship between students' learning styles and achievement, while the same analyses provided evidence that in the traditional classes, learning styles significantly related to students' achievement. |
