Computers, mathematics, and undergraduates: What is going on?

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

We report on research at two universities into attitudes of students relevant to the integration of mathematical software packages (MAPLE and MATLAB) in first year undergraduate courses. Both similarities and differences were found between the respective implementations. Separate constructs for mathematics confidence and computer confidence were confirmed, as were systematic gender differences between attitudes to mathematics and computers. On the other hand comparison of pre and post responses indicated some differences in the impact of the respective programs. Implications of the findings are considered against a background of increasing use of technology in tertiary mathematics teaching. The relevance of studying attitudes to information technology in conjunction with those relating to mathematics is emphasised and reinforced by the increasing use of technological devices in mathematics instruction. Templer et al. (1998) raised problems perceived to arise as a direct result of a symbolic manipulator (Mathematica) environment. They observed that having mastered the rudiments; the majority of students “began to hurtle through the work, hell bent on finishing everything in the shortest possible time”. The following comment, or a close relative, was noted as occurring frequently “I just don’t understand what I’m learning here. I mean all I have to do is ask the machine to solve the problem and it’s done. What have I learned?” Several studies have referred incidentally to attitudinal impacts in conjunction with proficiency measures. For example (Mackie, 1992; Park, 1993) make reference to the impact of computer-supported instruction on the disposition of students as well as recording their performances. It is not generally made clear in the mathematically focused studies just which ‘attitudes’ have been affected by technology, as the reporting tends to be non-specific. By inference it appears that it is ‘attitude’ to mathematics that is intended. While the study of attitudes in mathematics learning has a substantial history, the directional relationship between attitude and performance is not clear-cut although positive correlations have often been noted between these characteristics. Following studies over many years the Tartre and Fennema (1995) comment that described confidence as the affective variable most consistently related to mathematics achievement was probably a safe summary of the position. Recent studies have continued to pose the direction of the relationship as an open question (Hensel & Stephens, 1997; Shaw & Shaw, 1997). The study of attitudes towards information technology (most frequently computers) has a shorter but more intensive history, probably because information technology, while newer, is all-pervasive in its permeation of curriculum areas. Reports specifically involving mathematics students appear relatively hard to come by, although some have included affective variables when evaluating outcomes (see above). It is this very breadth of discipline background that has served to keep the investigation of attitudes to technology use at a general level, appropriate to the majority who will not be called upon to use computers in the same technical sense as mathematics students working intensively with specialised software.