1Third Misconceptions Seminar Proceedings (1993) Paper Title: Seeing is Believing? Students-Functions-Graphing Calculators

Abstract: The ability of a student to visualize functions is an important aspect of a mathematics education. Graphing calculators can quickly display the graphs of functions and evaluate function values. Such efficiency can contribute to explorations of families of functions. Therefore, graphing calculators have a major role, albeit not yet clearly defined or fully assessed, in the mathematics classroom today. Mathematics educators are faced with instructional technology issues as never before. An intrinsic concern is how, or if, the use of graphing calculator contributes to student understanding of mathematics content. This paper describes some results of assessing the use of graphing calculators in selected sections of college algebra and calculus in a two-year college for three consecutive quarters. The rationale for requiring these hand-held computers is outlined. Calculator assignments and student writing assignments are described. The data from paired student-teacher interviews conducted outside of class is reported