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Is there (non TI funded) research showing that graphing calculators are actually helpful in high school level math education? I'm somewhat sceptical. I had a t
by jabl 7y ago
Is there (non TI funded) research showing that graphing calculators are actually helpful in high school level math education? I'm somewhat sceptical.
I had a ti-85 in high school, but in university graphing calculators were verboten (basic scientific calculators were allowed). And I don't think they would have been useful, even if they would have been allowed.
My university experience sort of mirrors my "real world" experience as well. If I need something non-trivial, I have access to a computer with python/R/Julia/Matlab/octave/mathematica/take-your-pick that blows those graphing calculators out of the water. If not, a plain scientific calculator is good enough. I've literally never thought "if I only had my trusty ti-85".
- magicalhippo 7y agoI had the same at uni, no calculator allowed at any of the non-stat classes. You had to memorize the table or rules for a few special sine/cosine values, but that was it. Then my gf had to take some extra math classes for a program she wanted to take, and I got to help her as she had been weak at math in high-school. At just about every problem she got all confused looking at her graphing calculator, and I'd ask "why are you looking at that thing for?" "Well, I'm trying to find the button to compute the answer". After a little while like that I simply took her calculator away. Took a couple of weeks but she finally got an understanding of the math. In the end it turned out she is actually quite good at math, and passed the courses with high marks.
- willis936 7y agoIt’s a UI like any other. After many years of work on my TI-84, it’s still the fastest way for me to perform arithmetic and medium complexity evaluations. Anything heftier and I go to wolfram, matlab, or pen and paper.