ABSTRACT
Mathematics education has been widely criticized for concentrating too much on rote memorization of facts and algorithms and for failing to teach students how to pose and solve problems (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 1988; National Research Council [NRC], 1985; National Science Board on Precollege Education [NSBC], 1983). Recently, computer technology has been hailed as a tool with the potential to help shift mathematics education away from recitation of ready-made knowledge toward active inquiry and construction of knowledge. Equipped with appropriate software, computers enable users to gather, manipulate, and represent mathematical data in ways that are impractical or impossible with traditional technologies like paper, pencil, and chalkboards. In this way, computers help students and teachers gain access to a broader range of mathematical forms and ideas. Computers also become learning stations where students work independently or in small groups; teachers are then able to guide students’ inquiry as they circulate among the stations. (Hawkins & Sheingold, 1986; U.S. Congress, 1988.) Thus, computer technology supports a more constructive, student-centered approach than the traditional teacher-centered recitation format.
