Education Commons^™

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools is now an intrinsic part of students' learning, both inside and outside the classroom. The adoption and impact of ICT on teaching practice and learning outcomes has been a source of keen interest among government policy makers, school leaders, teachers and researchers worldwide. Research in this field has principally centred on pseudo-scientific comparative studies conducted mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom, with a focus on academic achievement. Few empirical studies have been conducted in Australia, or worldwide, that focus on student attitudinal outcomes framed within a design-based …

This paper investigates the effectiveness of technology- based instruction in secondary mathematics, by comparing students' achievements resulting from technology-rich assignments with those achievement resulting from equivalent assignments presented in traditional format. In addition, the development of the technology- rich assignments, from traditional paper- based instruction and within existing curricula, provides an example of the relative ease of integrating technology into the curriculum. Within the context of mathematics, issues of attitude towards computers, motivation and gender differences are examined.