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ABSTRACT
Historians consider the 20th century the beginning of the new electronic age. This electronic age opened up new horizons for the way we do business, conduct our lives, choose a career, and many other things. The teaching profession certainly did not remain immune to this electronic age. Universities started first by posting class notes on the WEB and soon after that began delivering whole courses on the Internet. At Valdosta State University we have been teaching College Algebra (MATH. 1111) via the Internet for the past three years. We are using the mathematical software Interactive Mathematics by Academic Systems Corporation (ASC) to deliver the course. The course retention rate and the students' performance on the departmental final exam for the treatment group, Academic Systems method, versus the control group, traditional lecture method, were compared. Two of the six semesters, the traditional method had a statistically significant higher retention rate. While each group on occasion scored statistically significantly higher on the departmental final examination, there was no consistent treatment effect.
Key words: College Algebra, College Mathematics, Computer Uses in, Education, Mathematics Education
INTRODUCTION
Winter quarter, 1998, Valdosta State University began a pilot program to study the effects of using a computer software delivery mode of instruction on achievement in College Algebra. The pilot program was a bold undertaking in many ways. The software utilized was not for drill and practice, not a tutorial, and not computer-assisted instruction (CAI), but rather the primary means of instructional delivery.
A review of the literature has failed to reveal research, which involves teaching an entire College Algebra course using computer software as the instructional delivery. Previous studies which used computer technology on a limited basis have suggested such research be done, but integration of the computer into the College Algebra classroom has been very limited until only recently.
Ganguli (1), when using the computer for teacher demonstrations, reported a significant treatment effect on students' attitudes favoring the use of a computer as a teaching aid, leading him to conclude there was promise for the integration of technology into the teaching and learning of mathematics. Tilidetzke (2) reported no significant difference in mean scores on a posttest or a delayed posttest between CAI and traditional instruction...