Acquiring the concept/concepts of function through programmed instruction in a computer classroom

Abstract

In teaching mathematics the concept/concepts of function are very important, but also difficult. Thus, they are gradually introduced in the teaching process depending on the students' age. The development of mathematics and education technologies allows different approaches for introducing students to these concepts as well as testing of their acquisition by students. The paper outlines the possibility of acquiring the concepts of function through programmed instruction using the Cartesian method, in which the educational space is represented by "a point" with six components. One of the specified components is media, which are used for acquiring new content, and also for testing what students have acquired, for example, in the field of function. This approach ensures the presence of the direct and feedback loop, and the teaching of mathematics is organized as a manageable process. The above mentioned is effectively implemented in a computer classroom through programmed teaching using appropriate tools and Educational Computer Software (ECS).