| The use of technology is advocated in the teaching of mathematics by professional education organizations which support teaching, governmental agencies which set policy and fund education, and colleges and universities which train teachers.;The use of computer technology in the form of symbolic manipulation is investigated in this study concerning effects of its use on teaching practice, selection of curricular content, and assessment of student performance and instructional effectiveness.;It is hypothesized that use of symbolic manipulation software affects the teaching of mathematics. Improved mathematics learning by all students is desirable, and dependent upon competent teachers in the classroom. The study endeavors to find the effects of symbolic manipulator use on the teaching of mathematics, and to determine how its use affects teaching practice, selection of curricular content, and assessment of student performance and instructional effectiveness.;A questionnaire was constructed to investigate these areas of mathematics teaching. Interviews were conducted with secondary and undergraduate mathematics teachers using the symbolic manipulator software package, Derive. The findings suggest proper use of symbolic manipulation can contribute to the empowerment of all students to learn mathematics. Some key findings are: (1) Teaching practice should be student-center and conducted in an inquiry-based, collegial-learning environment. (2) Symbolic manipulators should be viewed as an integral part of the learning environment. (3) Sufficient computer hardware and technical support for its use are essential to the learning environment. (4) Student assessment should incorporate the use of symbolic manipulators consistent with its use during instruction. (5) Student assessment is multi-faceted; informal evaluation is facilitated by increased teacher/student interaction. (6) Instructional effectiveness decisions are on-going, aided by the non-threatening, communication-rich learning environment.;The question of appropriate curricular content for learning environments using symbolic-manipulator technology was not discernible from this study. Knowledge of symbolic manipulator use on the teaching of mathematics is limited by its newness to the learning environment. Further study of symbolic manipulator use is needed to better understand its influence on the learning environment. |
