Abstract:

Mathematical teaching is one of the subjects that has more potential for taking advantage of computer tools. The interactive nature and abstraction capabilities of computer applications can be used to promote an exploratory learning style in which students get involved and learn using the what if paradigm. These tools are also efficient to relate the intuitive mathematical notions that the learner has with the more formal concepts of mathematical science. However, this relationship cannot be established spontaneously, and the teacher has to lead the students in the process.

This paper is concerned with how teachers can make the best use of computer tools to improve the mathematical learning of their students. But the computer is not an end in itself: it is just a tool. Many human activities can be facilitated by tools of different nature, physical or symbolic. In our case, the computer is both a physical and symbolic tool, that each student will use according to her/his previous experience. This variety of student backgrounds could be perceived as overwhelming by the teacher, but in fact it can be exploited to create a motivating learning atmosphere in which students learn from the teacher and from each other.

Keywords:

mathematical education, visualization, mathematical software.