Teresa Rojano

The Influence and Shaping of Digital Technologies on the Learning – and Learning Trajectories – of Mathematical Concepts

The significant development and use of digital technologies has opened up diverse routes for learners to construct and comprehend mathematical knowledge and to solve problems. This implies a revision of the pedagogical landscape in terms of the ways in which students engage in learning, and how understandings emerge. In this chapter we consider how the availability of digital technologies has allowed intended learning trajectories to be structured in particular forms and how these, coupled with the affordances of engaging mathematical tasks through digital pedagogical media, might shape the actual learning trajectories. The evolution of hypothetical learning trajectories is examined, while the transitions learners make when traversing these pathways are also considered. Particular instances are illustrated with examples in several settings.

The role of usability on the implementation and evaluation of educational technology

This paper argues that design and usability issues are of great importance on technology-based implementation and evaluation programs, as they can have both a positive and a negative impact on teaching-learning processes. For instance, the quality of the design can aid the development of new reasoning skills on the one hand and on the other it can affect the understanding of physical phenomena. From a pilot study conducted with the purpose of investigating how design and usability issues impact on the mathematics and science teaching-learning process in secondary schools in Mexico, we identify a number of problems that suggest the importance of considering these issues during the implementation of educational technology programs and during the evaluation of its outcomes, as these programs will ultimately determine the development of for example, national curricula and national education policies.

The Mexican National Programs on Teaching Mathematics and Science with Technology: The Legacy of a Decade of Experiences of Transformation of School Practices and Interactions

Here we give an overview of the Mexican experience of a national program, begun in 1997, of gradual implementation of computational tools in the lower secondary-school classrooms (children 12-15 years-old) for mathematics and science. This project illustrates, through the benefit of long-term hindsight, the successes and difficulties of large-scale massive implementation of technologies in schools. The key factors for success and for transforming school practices seem to be: adequate planning, gradual implementation, continuous training and support, and enough time (years) for assimilation and integration.