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The role of technology for the development and use of mathematical understanding

Analyzing data of student interest to stimulate elaborative learning.

Publisher: T³ Europe

Author: Helmut Heugl

Topic:  Mathematics

Tags  Sharing Inspiration 2021

The most topical problem at the moment is the Corona pandemic. So many data are published and even politicians try to explain the exponential growth – not always successful.  A great advantage of technology in problem solving is the use of larger amounts of data.

The paper falls into two parts:

  1. Part 1: What can we learn from Mathematics about Corona?
  2. Part 2: What can we learn from Corona about mathematics?

Didactical comments:

  • Favorable for the stimulation of elaborative learning is that the given problem is also interesting for the students.
  • In the classroom one would start with open questions. Students should at first discuss what tasks are interesting or possible.
  • It is not enough to use technology as a black box for calculating and for experimenting. More than ever an exactifying learning phase is necessary.
  • The experimental learning phase often at first possible when using technology must not replace the exactifying phase, it must prepare it or show the necessity.
  • The goal of mathematics is not only to learn something about the applied problem it is also necessary to learn and to understand the used mathematics.

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