The impact of a higher education laptop initiative on student's attitudes toward mathematics and achievement

This study investigated the relationship between the impact of the laptop computer initiative on student's attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics achievement at Lawrence Technological University. Relationships between student's attitude toward mathematics, extent of computer use in the classroom, extent of computer use outside the classroom, achievement in the current course, number of previous mathematics classes taken, prerequisites satisfied, and past computer experiences were evaluated. The dependent variables were student attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics achievement. The independent variables were the use of a laptop computer in the classroom and outside the classroom. Antecedent variables were students past mathematics courses taken, fulfillment of course prerequisites, and past computer experience.; The Attitudes Toward Mathematics survey was used to measure students attitudes toward mathematics. The survey also included demographic descriptions of the population. Data was collected at the conclusion of the spring semester 2001 from mathematics courses below Calculus 1.; A factor analysis was conducted on the research. Mathematics attitudes fell into the following four factors namely; intimidating, beneficial, useful/necessary, and narrow segment. When the response “not at all” was eliminated from the data, the only significant relationship was between overall mathematics attitude and computer use involving a CD that accompanies text in the classroom. The reason the response “not at all” was considered was because this was a fairly new initiative and not all mathematics courses were participating in the technology.; There were significant relationships between the four mathematics factors namely, intimidating, useful and necessary, and narrow segment and achievement. There also was a significant relationship between the computer application, course management system and achievement.