2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

STEM students are usually expected to demonstrate paper-pencil solution and critical thinking ability to solve questions while they are also expected to use technology to determine solutions to these questions. Engineering students’ technology choices for solving calculus questions can depend on the technologies they learned in high school, web-based resources that they are familiar with, major specific programming requirements, and technologies taught by their mathematics instructors. The strategic use of technology by STEM majors enhances their engineering and mathematics learning. Technology education of students for making right decisions to pick the right technology for solving calculus questions is a crucial component of calculus education [Author’s article, 2020; Author’s article, 2015].
There are many challenging problems that might require the use of one of the following technologies:
• Computer programming languages such as MATLAB, Excel, etc.
• Calculators such as Texas Instruments 83, 83+, 84, 86, 89, 89-Titanium, etc.
• Online resources such as Wolfram Alpha, Symbolab, Desmos, etc.
The following research questions are used to perform both Qualitative and Quantitative data analysis:
• To draw the graph of a given function, what kind of technologies would you use? Please explain your answer and explain why.
• If there is a definite integral given, which technology would you prefer to use to calculate the given integral? Please briefly explain why.
• If you needed to calculate numerical values of power series or error term graphs/values which method (algebraic calculations, computer program (please specify), calculator etc.) would you use? If you are required to pick a computer program what programming language would you prefer to use? Please explain why.
The following are the main objectives of the three research questions analyzed in this article:
• Technology preferences of undergraduate engineering students for solving function graphing, definite integral, and mathematical series questions.
• Technology variation of participating engineering students’ technology preferences when calculus concepts change. I.e. Do the students prefer a different technology (or not prefer at all) when calculus questions change?
• Engineering students’ interest in determining the solution to a calculus problem by using paper and pencil rather than technology.
• The engineering majors’ consistency in using the same technology as calculus problems change.
The following is a list of potential benefits for STEM educators and researchers:
• Undergraduate engineering students’ reasons for choosing various technologies.
• The technological shortcomings that arise in engineering education for solving mathematics problems.
• The limitations of engineering students’ knowledge of technology.
• Correlation of participants’ technology choices for a variety of calculus questions.
Therefore, in this work, quantitative data analysis is based on the statistical analysis of 23 STEM students’ written responses to the three research questions, and the qualitative nature of the analysis is driven by the analysis of the participants' verbal responses during the follow-up video recorded interviews. Students’ preferences on using technology versus paper-pencil solution to solve the research questions is investigated for improving technology education of STEM students with the impact on their calculus educational experience. The results attained in this work are compared with those attained in [Author’s article, 2015] by using correlation analysis and comparative statistics. The quantitative measures indicated strong correlation of the technology choices of students even after 6 years therefore time didn’t seem to have strong impact on the technology choices of students.