Teaching and learning mathematics at secondary level with TI-Nspire technology

Research of technology used in mathematics education has been mainly focused on the cal-culators. Therefore it has been of great value, as in this study, also to study how teachers and students can use laptops with TI-Nspire technology and software, with or without concomitant use of handheld devices. Of particular interest has also been examining possible changes in teachers' teaching experience, the students' problem-solving methods and the students' math¬ematical learning and deeper understanding of mathematics, and other outcomes of education in this technological learning environment. Eight classes of students in theoretical programmes at upper secondary level in southern and central Sweden, as well as their teachers, were using TI-Nspire CAS in a regular course, Mathematics A or Mathematics B, during a whole semester. They used the software and/or handhelds continuously during the course and also, where appropriate, implemented the national test on laptops. Experiences of students and teachers, concerning opportunities and the positive sides as well as obstacles and problems, agree well. Almost all showed significant progress during the study, both in terms of management of technology in the math work, and when it comes to integrating it into a high-quality learning environment. A majority of the students testified about the positive impact that the use of technology had on their view of mathematics and of what mathematical activities would include. This raised at a great extent their interest in the subject and gave them more confidence towards mathematics. Perhaps the most important results of this study are how TI-Nspire software on laptops could be used in regular education in courses at upper secondary level. Its various possibilities, of technical, mathematical and conceptual nature, have had the opportunity to appear in this relatively long study. But also the various obstacles and risks of this type of technology were identified, and teachers' approaches to them have been reported. They agree that CAS repre-sents a difficulty, especially for low-performing students, but also carries an incredibly pow-erful potential in mathematics. Experiences from the use in the national tests were positive, and the barriers that existed for the use of laptops could in practice be eliminated. Special attention has been given in the study to the question if the combination of handheld unit and computer has added something extra to education. The results indicate that there are several reasons to consider this technical solution, such as the hand units being better in cer¬tain situations; for quick calculations, for tests and in other subjects; while computers pre¬senting an advantage for working with graphs or to solve larger problems and finally to doc¬ument them. This indicates that implementation of new technology must always be preceded by a careful analysis of how it is meant to be used in education in practice