Getting an Insight into How Students Use Their Graphical Calculators

Abstract

I report on a data collection tool that I used within my doctoral studies. My study investigates the depth and type of learning that takes place when a student uses a graphical calculator within an AS Level Mathematics course. I collected various types of data during the project: interviews; observations; student journals; key-stroke data from graphical calculators and combinations of all four. The key-stroke data was collected using a piece of software called Key Recorder that runs in the background of a graphical calculator recording all the user’s key strokes. It is then possible to playback the data file to see what the user saw and determine how they used their graphical calculator. I plan to outline some features of the Key Recorder followed by some initial observations made during analysis of the data I have collected.