The Effects of Computers and Calculators on Computation and Geometry Achievement

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the use of technology and student computation and geometry achievement. The study also examined possible relationships between achievement differences related to demographic and background characteristics of the students and the use of technology. The sample of 956 students in eighth grade was drawn from the 1992 Trial State Mathematics Assessment for Mississippi. The technology-related variables included were the availability of computers, the type of computer use, and the frequency with which computers and calculators were used. The measures of mathematics achievement used included the plausible value estimates for the numbers and operations and geometry subscales of the 1992 Trial State Mathematics Assessment. The use of hierarchical linear modeling revealed significant differences between African-American and Whit