Electronic Proceedings
of the 12th Asian Technology Conference in Mathematics
Abstract for 13018
MuPAD for
the Classroom - A Discussion on Using Computer Algebra
Systems in Teaching Mathematics
Authors: Miroslaw
Majewski
Affiliations: New York Institute of
Technology, Abu Dhabi Campus,
SciFace GmBH, Paderborn, Germany
Keywords:
It is well known that Computer
Algebra Systems (CAS), for instance
Mathematica,
Maple, MuPAD or Derive, provide computational power
to
solve many
mathematical problems faster and more efficiently than
using the
old paper-and-pencil methods. The availability of such
software
and its ability to deal with most undergraduate mathematics
problems cannot be
ignored. A mathematics educator cannot stay
neutral in
this issue. Indeed, the emergence of such software has
divided
mathematics educators into two almost separate groups -those
who
believe that we should use such software in teaching mathematics
as much as
possible, and those who think that we should completely
avoid technology
in mathematics classes.
In this paper we will analyze
various points of view on using CAS in
teaching
mathematics. We will show how some of the major concerns
can be
overcome. Finally, we will discuss the MuPAD for the
classroom
project, where the main objective is to develop a
comprehensive
set of materials to help educators incorporate MuPAD
efficiently
into undergraduate mathematics teaching. Most of the
issues
discussed in this paper are related to teaching high school
mathematics.
In a few places we will also consider the university
point of
view. However, it is important to note that in many
aspects,
the CAS situation at the university is quite different than
in high
school.