Use of Digital Tools in Mathematical Discovery
Technology is increasingly becoming an important part of mathematics teaching and learning in the 21st Century. There have been numerous attempts to integrate technology into education systems, but without serious development and research, the success of these attempts had been limited. In my talk, I will highlight the importance of research and developing trials in technology-supported education and describe related projects. Among these project is Geomatech, which aimed to develop high-quality teaching and learning materials for all grades in primary and secondary schools in Hungary. These materials (1200+ Mathematics, 600+ Science) is being embedded into an online communication and collaboration environment that can be used as an electronic textbook, a homework system, and a virtual classroom environment. Furthermore, I will outline new directions for enhancing creativity in mathematics and STEM learning by integrating the Arts, in a broader sense as creation and design, into teaching and connect them with digital tools. I will highlight topics and examples in STEAM education and the connection between physical and digital activities.
Short Bio: Dr. Zsolt Lavicza,
STEM Education Centre, Johennes Kepler University, Austria
Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK
Geomatech Project, Budapest Metropolitan University, Hungary
Dr Zsolt Lavicza
After receiving his degrees in mathematics and physics in Hungary, Zsolt began his postgraduate studies in applied mathematics at the University of Cincinnati. While teaching mathematics at the University of Cincinnati he became interested in researching issues in the teaching and learning mathematics. In particular, he focused on investigating issues in relation to the use of technology in undergraduate mathematics education. Since then, both at the University of Michigan and Cambridge, working with Deborah Ball, Hyman Bass, Paul Andrews, and Kenneth Ruthven, he has worked on several research projects examining technology and mathematics teaching in a variety of classroom environments. Currently, Zsolt is working in numerous research projects worldwide related to technology integration into schools; offering educational research training courses at a number of universities; leading a doctoral programme in STEM education at Johannes Kepler University; and coordinates research projects within the International GeoGebra Institute.
