COMPUTER ALGEBRA, VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND MEANINGFUL LEARNING: IS IT POSSIBLE? - Volume 4 - Number 1 - A study on GeoGebra and Moodle

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Putri

A major challenge for teachers is using appropriate educational technology to enable meaningful learning with time for reflection. In virtual learning environments, teachers must adapt to a dynamic role while gaining tool-related skills. This paper investigates an online course for primary and secondary mathematics teachers, focusing on GeoGebra and Moodle, both free and easy to adopt. Results indicate that a well-designed proposal can meet teachers’ expectations, while new technologies also shift behaviors and relationships among participants.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Online courses and teacher challenges

Course goals and selected tools

Methodology

Distance learning learning situations

Instructional design and evaluation approach

Volume 4, Number 1, 2011 COMPUTER ALGEBRA, VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND MEANINGFUL LEARNING: IS IT POSSIBLE? Celina A. A. P. Abar, Lisbete Madsen Barbosa Abstract: A major challenge faced by teachers nowadays relates to the usage of proper educational technology to achieve a true and meaningful learning experience involving time for reflection. Teachers constantly seek new ways to improve instruction, but in virtual learning environments they often find themselves in a new role, interacting in a dynamic system with students and simultaneously acquiring new skills related to the tools in use. In this paper we address this question by conducting an online course aimed at primary and secondary school mathematics teachers, designed to investigate the effective use of GeoGebra and Moodle. The tools selected for the course are free and easy to use, an important factor for the new technology tobe incorporated into teaching practice. The course results show that a well-constructed proposal is able to meet the expectations of teachers. Furthermore, the usage of new technologies involves, beyond technical issues, changes in the behavior and in the relationships between the actors involved. Key words: Distance Learning, Teacher Education, Moodle, GeoGebra. 1. Introduction New information technologies help to improve the design and production of resources and educational environments but often lead to a permanent demand for professional updating. Online courses can address these needs producing results beyond expectations. Effective participation in online courses provides new opportunities for teachers, integrating them truly in the globalized world. However, the usage of virtual learning environments and educational software can be a challenge for teachers who may feel as beginners among young students grown up with the Net Generation technology. In fact, when facing telematic resources, teachers may find many obstacles from technical and nontechnical nature. At the same time that new technologies increase possibilities of developing teaching projects, deeper understanding of specific contents and better knowledge of educational technologies are required. One needs to revise concepts, identifying the kind of education to be achieved and understanding the new role of teachers and their different forms of interaction in this new scenario. The integration of resources offered by technology to achieve a truly and effective learning experience is the great challenge. As part of our research project we offer the course "Dynamic Mathematics," where participants experience an online course in new geometry and algebra teaching techniques. Furthermore, we want to give participants the opportunity to reflect on important educational issues and to develop new skills for research. Received 1 February 2011, accepted 25 March 2011, published 30 March 2011. This paper is an expanded version of the presentation given to the third Computer Algebra and Dynamic Geometry Systems in Mathematics Education (CADGME) conference at the University of South Bohemia Pedagogical Faculty, Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czech Republic, in July 2010 In this work we choose two computational systems, Moodle and GeoGebra, not only because of the facilities and features they offer, but mainly because they are appropriate to our goals. The first is a virtual learning environment that favors collaborative learning, enabling interactions with resources from different media and among all participants. The second allows the exploration of geometry and algebra in a dynamic and interactive way, thus becoming an important aid for investigation of conjectures and verification of mathematical properties. The course is organized in thematic units in accordance with curricular guidelines for Primary and Secondary schools, allowing participants, mathematics teachers, to evaluate the scope of technology used and possibilities of adapting it to their needs. The cou

FAQs

What challenge in education does the paper focus on?

It focuses on helping teachers achieve true, meaningful learning through appropriate educational technology, including reflection time.

Which tools are used in the proposed online course?

The course uses GeoGebra and Moodle to explore geometry and algebra and to support collaborative learning.

What do the results of the course suggest?

A well-constructed proposal can meet teachers’ expectations, and using new technologies also changes participants’ behavior and relationships.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Putri