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NTEGRATING COMPUTERS INTO THE TEACHING OF CALCULUS: DIFFERENTIATING STUDENT NEEDS

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NTEGRATING COMPUTERS INTO THE TEACHING OF CALCULUS: DIFFERENTIATING STUDENT NEEDS

Author: Julie Ryan

Publication Year: 1992

Abstract

The study undertaken here looked at difficulties associated with the first principles approach to the derivative of a function and concentrated in particular on the first five lessons in calculus as experienced by a typical group of nineteen year 10 students who were preparing to take calculus at year 11. A traditional teaching approach was contrasted with an alternative computer teaching approach and both approaches were analysedfor success in terms of conceptual understanding, skill acquisition and student perceptions of whether the work was easy to understand. The traditional first principles approach was found to be too cognitively demanding for the students who demonstrated a 'rush to rule' for meaning. Students undergoing the computer treatment also demonstrated this rush to rule and therefore very gradual development is recommended for students in their first encounters with calculus.

Type: research paper

JULIE RYAN
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MERGA Paper Template – to be used to write the abstracts which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website
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MERGA Paper Template – to be used to write the papers which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website
MERGA Publication Agreement – to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the paper submission

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a statement of the problem/issue and a discussion of its significance;
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MERGA Paper Template (to be used to write the papers which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website)
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