Taking advantage of hand-held technology (or, should calculators be banned?)
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CTI Mathematics Day Workshop
Thursday 22 October 1998
University of Birmingham
The TI-89 with Advanced Mathematics Software is a portable symbolic, numeric, and
graphing solution for advanced mathematics and engineering coursework. It will soon be
on sale in the UK and students will be buying it to solve many of their coursework
problems. The computer algebra system built into the TI-89 will evaluate mathematical
expressions symbolically or numerically, and can be electronically upgraded using Flash
technology to download the latest software. It allows the user to:
- compute exact symbolic solutions to many 1st- and 2nd-order ordinary differential
equations
- find eigenvalues, eigenvectors, functions of matrices (like e A ), and LU or QR
decompositions
- solve systems of linear and nonlinear equations and display the results in general or
matrix formats
- solve single or systems of differential equations using Euler or Runga Kutta methods,
and graph slope or direction fields
- visualize in 3D via real-time rotation of 3D surfaces and contour graphs
- carry out 2D graphing, data analysis and statistical regressions
University teachers cannot afford to ignore the power of such tools, which can replace
skills looked for in the past but not the understanding that those skills brought. This
workshop will investigate benefits and drawbacks to their use by students in and out of the
classroom, the effect they will have on assessment and the way they can be integrated into
courses.
Programme
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10.30 Tea/coffee and registration
11.00 Harry Gretton, Sheffield Hallam University : the evolution to the TI-89
11.10 Implementing technological approaches: two case studies
12.00 Getting a grip on the TI-89: hands-on workshop
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Neil Challis, Sheffield Hallam University: “All calculators should be banned!”(?)
14.20 Discussion: the implications of the TI-89 and other hand-held technology
- using it in the classroom
- students using it outside the classroom
- its impact on assessment
- its impact on curriculum
15.30 Tea/coffee and closing discussion
The day will take place in the Conference Room in the School of Education, University of
Birmingham. There is a nominal charge of £30 including a buffet lunch. Places are
limited and priority will be given to those who book first. Bookings can be made online at
http://www.bham.ac.uk/ctimath/workshops/f-hand.htm
Telephone and email bookings can also be taken. Please confirm by post with payment in
advance - cheques payable to the University of Birmingham. Maps are available on
request; the University station is two stops from Birmingham New Street on the cross-
city line.
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CTI Mathematics [log in to unmask]
School of Mathematics and Statistics
The University of Birmingham tel 0121-414 7095
Birmingham B15 2TT fax 0121-414 3389
One of 24 CTI subject centres working to encourage the use of
computers for teaching and learning in Higher Education. Our
Web server address is http://www.bham.ac.uk/ctimath/
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