Information and communication technologies in schools: a ...

In solving algebraic equations, students can use graphs to verify their calculations
and transformations of the formula. In models of atomic and molecular
structures that simulate individual particles’ interaction, students can track
emerging phenomena such as temperature, pressure, states of matter, phase
change, absorption, latent heats, osmosis, diffusion, heat flow, crystals, inclusions,
and annealing; chemical phenomena such as exchange energy with bonds,
chemical equilibrium, heat gain and loss in reactions, explosions, stoichiometry,
colour, spectra, florescence, and chemiluminescence, plasma, surface tension,
solutions, hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules, conformation, binding specificity,
and self-assembly.
Working with microworlds can help a student to construct knowledge of
real world subjects (physics, geometry, economics, environmental studies) as
well as of abstract mathematics. The applications in secondary schools have been
very successful, especially in geometry and physics. Geometer’s Sketchpad, for
instance, is a computer environment in which students do their own mathematical
research, set up experiments, state hypotheses, and prove or refute them.
This software has radically changed the perspective of how to treat a school subject
that has remained fundamentally unchanged for 2000 years. A similar product
for teaching physics is called Interactive Physics. There are algebraic manipulation
packages of a similar kind. Aimed at learning geometry and physics in
middle school, these programs are successfully used for preparatory purposes in
primary education as well.
New software allows children to
construct any combination of simple
machines, which helps in the development
of reasoning skills, including spatial,
causal and design thinking.
Another important class of microworlds
is tutoring environments for typing,
spelling and foreign languages.
Mathematics teaching today is in a
paradoxical situation in that every
mathematical problem can be solved by a personal computer. Therefore, as in
other subjects, we are forced to rethink how and why we teach the subject. At the
same time, ICT are a boost to experimental mathematics, allowing students to
draw graphs of functions, and check relations in geometrical configurations in
which parameters as a point position can be changed by dragging a mouse.
ICT in Learning and Teaching
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