"Should students do algebra when computer algebra systems can do it for them?"

Paul Strickland & Dhiya Al-Jumeily (*)
Liverpool John Moores University
School of Computing and mathematical sciences, Byron street
Liverpool JM University, L3 3AF
United Kingdom
E-mail:D.Aljumeily@livjm.ac.uk



Conventional hand-held calculators, available widely in schools and  
universities from the 1970s, extended the range of numerical calculation 
that could be attempted in mathematics nd science teaching. However, in the 
UK at least, it has been seen as necessary to ensure that children are able 
to calculate for themselves before they become reliant on electronic devices. 
Teaching using computer algebra systems (CAS) enables us to give students 
access to harder, more life-like, problems; if a CAS is directed 
appropriately (for example getting DERIVE to add a value to both sides of an 
equation, or perform an integration), the learner can find solutions even if 
they cannot themselves perform the underlying manipulations.
We ask the questions who should learn basic algebraic manipulation? And how 
can computer algebra systems be utilized in the teaching of traditional 
algebra skills? We also present evaluative work based on our own CAS, 
TREEFROG, which enables drill-and-practice examples to be attempted with 
immediate, and ultimately intelligent, feedback.