Mathematics Education: Taking a Clue From
the Recent Technological Revolution
Alexander Bogomolny
Cut The Knot Software, Inc.
New Jersey, United States
http://www.cut-the-knot.com
Abstract:
The technological revolution we witness nowadays depends so much on the computers and computerization that it is safe to assert that no technological advance would be possible without the qualitative leap in software development that came with the rise of the object oriented paradigm. At the heart of OOP is application of scientific method to programming.
Objects are identified and named; their properties and behaviors are encapsulated in their description. OOP grew out of attempts to built a personal computer. It evolved further as a programmer's tool for conceptualizing programming tasks. OO paradigm appears to be congenial to the structure and spirit of mathematics. There must be an advantage in employing OO ideas in mathematics education.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers of this conference for the invitation, for the opportunity to talk publicly of Mathematics Education and Technology.
Please do not take me wrong. I do not say that OO pedagogy is good. This would be quite irrelevant. I do say, however, that OO pedagogy is the only one with a potential to be successful.
