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What are the purposes for using the handheld in teaching and what are the effects of each type of use?
Benefits are strongest when teaching focuses on uses of graphics calculators for conceptual understanding and problem solving strategy
A review of 43 key comparative and interpretive studies found:
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| • | The greatest benefits come from investigations which center on “what if…?” or “why?” questions. |
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| A review of 10 quantitative and qualitative studies in France on the integration of graphics calculators in mathematics teaching concluded:
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| • | Learners widely use calculators, even complex ones, only for simple tasks; integration of the tool in a rational process of exploration, conjecture and evidence depends on the teacher to scaffold this integration in the classroom. |
 Reference: (Burrill, Allison et al. 2002), Michigan State University
Reference: (Sabra 2008), INRP
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Teaching that emphasises concepts and connections between representations is more successful than focusing on technology and procedural algebraic approaches.
A review of 43 key comparative and interpretive studies concluded that:
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| • | Learners whose teachers illustrated connections between representations and emphasised concepts made much less use of the calculator but with greater success than did learners whose teachers focused on technological and algebraic approaches. |
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| These teachers:
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| • | Seemed to create classrooms with more conjecturing, multiple approaches and higher levels of discourse |
| • | Used technology as an extension to the way they always taught |
| Reference: (Burrill, Allison et al. 2002), Michigan State University
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Graphics calculators should be an integral part of teaching and testing
A peer-reviewed meta-analysis of 54 of studies with the strongest form of evidence, high-quality experimental and quasi-experimental studies, concluded:
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| • | Learners’ operational skills and problem solving improved when graphics calculators were an integral part of teaching and testing. |
| Reference: (Ellington 2003), Virginia Commonwealth University
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Maths skills development does not suffer when calculators are used properly in teaching A review of 43 key comparative and interpretive studies examined this issue. The review concluded:
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| • | No significant differences in procedural skills were found between learners who use handheld graphing technology and those who do not (in the areas examined). |
| • | Extensive use of the technology does not necessarily interfere with learners’ acquisition of skills. |
| Reference: (Burrill, Allison et al. 2002), Michigan State University
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