The Inscription, Translation and Re-Inscription of Technology for Mathematical Learning

Seeking to contribute to our understanding of the role of educational technology in mathematical learning, this paper takes a socio-genetic approach to tracing the ways technology becomes part of classroom mathematical activity. It illuminates the reflexive processes of inscription, translation and re-inscription as technologies evolve by examining the development and classroom use of Texas Instruments’TI-Nspire™. To investigate the development and use of TI-Nspire, research from the field of Science and Technology Studies is drawn on that provides insights into the relationship between development, technology, and users while avoiding essentialist positions that obscure either technological or human aspects of the relationship. The findings show that rather than being a linear process where the technology is passed from developer to teacher to student, the development and use of TI-Nspire involves multiple feedback loops with constant reconfiguration. These loops occur at several levels as teachers and students integrate the technology into their mathematical activity and these reconfigurations feed into new versions of the technology.

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