ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF COMPUTER-AIDED ASSESSMENT SYSTEM IN MATHEMATICS

Abstract

In contrast to the majority of subjects, where laptops and tablets are gradually replacing paper and pencil, in teaching and learning mathematics, paper and pencil as well as classic blackboard with chalk still prevail. The development of information technology, however, leads to the development of computer-aided learning and assessment systems aimed for the use in mathematics education. An example of such system is the platform Maple T. A. (Testing and Assessment), which was established by integrating computational capabilities of computer algebra system Maple with Computer-Aided Assessment (hereinafter referred to as “CAA”) system. This and similar instruments allow to test and practise students´ knowledge in mathematics using different types of questions, which in addition to the standard test questions include also questions where students work with graphs and formulate answers in the form of algebraic expressions or numerical values. New possibilities of these platforms in the area of symbolic computation have many uses in mathematics education at various types of schools. The paper presents the meta-analysis of the published studies dealing with the use of CAA in mathematics and brings an overview of the software used in teaching calculus at Czech universities. On the basis of analysing the current state of the studied problem, the paper provides a comprehensive view of the existing assessment software, experience with this software in the Czech educational environment as well as abroad, with an emphasis on the advantages and disadvantages of these systems.