DISCONTINUITIES IN THE TRANSITION FROM SECONDARY SCHOOL TO UNIVERSITY: TECHNOLOGY AND ASSESSMENT

This paper describes and analyses some of the discontinuities observed as students move from senior secondary school mathematics classes to undergraduate studies in a range of quantitative disciplines, with a view to understanding the sources of these discontinuities and the associated teaching and learning practices. The major vehicle for the analysis concerns practices related to the use of technology in formal assessment, particularly the technology of calculators. The paper explores how decisions are made by university staff regarding the use of technology in assessment, and how this is related to the use of technology in teaching and learning. The paper draws on two data sources. The first of these is an Australia-wide survey of assessment practices in universities related to the use of technology by students. The second involves a case study of assessment practices related to calculators in university examinations at one particular university. The paper concludes by offering advice on strategies for improving the coherence of teaching, learning and assessment in universities regarding technology use and for reducing some of the discontinuities in practice between schools and universities.