Spreadsheets for Numerical Analysis: A conceptual tool

Abstract

Using spreadsheets for mathematics education is not a new idea. However, analysing student logical mistakes for preserving error types and conceptual decision making would be first to study. A class of students were given two home works in order for grading. They were told to carry on calculations via spreadsheets and give the homework exam with spreadsheet file. In H1, questions were on root finding and solution of simultaneous equations. In H2, questions were on line and curve approximations, interpolation, numerical integration and numerical differentiation. These files are analysed by content analysis of qualitative method. By this way, it is hypothesized that they would do similar errors regarding error types and their decision making would inform us about their conceptual learning.