On Using Technology to Confront Information Overload in a Mathematics Classroom

There is little doubt that modern society is awash in information. More than ever, students need to manage and analyze data effectively. Examination of a mathematics classroom vignette, in which a novice teacher uses handheld calculators and regression to examine a real-world application, demonstrates the potential danger of “information overload.” Using a framework of understanding Affective concerns, Communication, and Trade-offs (ACT) inherent in the vignette, the authors suggest approaches to manage information overload. The authors further suggest the potential of this framework to improve mathematics teacher preparation.