THE USE OF COMPUTERS IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION: A PARADIGM SHIFT FROM "COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION" TOWARDS "STUDENT PROGRAMMING"
Emin Aydın · The turkish online journal of educational technology · 2005
The purpose of this study is to review the changes that computers have on mathematics itself and on mathematics curriculum. The study aims at investigating different applications of computers in education in general, and mathematics education in particular and their applications on mathematics curriculum and on teaching and learning of mathematics. There are three broad categories of the applications of computers in the field of mathematics education: computer assisted instruction (CAI), student (educational) programming and general purpose educational tools such as spreadsheets, databases and computer algebra systems (CAS). This study presents a historical background and attempts to describe the paradigmatic shift in the use of computers in mathematics education from behavioristicly oriented CAI movement towards constructivist based student programming movement. INTRODUCTION The educational history of computers began in sixties with the realization of its potential to teaching and learning. That was a period of enchantment. According to Suppes et al. (1968) the change that was to come through computers could only be compared to the fact that how books had changed the way of people looking at the world. Computers would change the face of education in a very short period of time by eventually removing the teacher from the classroom scene. Looking in retrospect, can it really be said that his predictions were realized? Or is it just a techno-romantism (Underwood and Underwood, 1990) to believe that the computer is a panecea for all of the problems in education. Allthough not having been able to solve all of the problems of education by itself, this powerful machine, no doubt, will continue to occupy a very central place in education. A major figure in the history of computers, besides Suppes, in education is Seymour Papert who is famous for his work Mindstorms (1980) which presents quite revolutionary ideas about the place of the computers in education. He, like Suppes argued that the computer would change the face of education, but unlike Suppes he advocated the use of the computer not as a teaching machine but as a device to develop learners' intellectual skills through writing their own programs to direct the computer and not let the computer direct themselves. It seems that the effect of computer technology on education is greater in mathematics than in any other discipline. This may be because of the close links between the two disciplines. In fact the computer science was a part of mathematics and afterwards gained independence as a sole discipline. The purpose of this study is to review the changes that computers have on mathematics itself and on mathematics curriculum. The study aims at investigating the following questions: 1. What are different applications of computers in education in general, and mathematics education in particular? 2. What are the effects of these applications on mathematics curriculum and on teaching and learning of mathematics?