The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges recommends the use of the Internet as a resource to enhance mathematics instruction. Colleges and mathematics departments are therefore encouraged to provide faculty and students with adequate access to the Internet and, in particular, to the World Wide Web.

RATIONALE

The Internet is becoming an integral and important component of academic life. Teaching, research, and communication are being revolutionized by the advent of Internet connectivity. In particular, there is a wealth of mathematical material on the Internet that could be used effectively in mathematics instruction and learning.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Mathematics departments, with the support of their colleges, should give instructors the opportunity to adapt curricula, where the faculty deem it appropriate, to incorporate the mathematical resources on the Internet.
2. Colleges should provide Internet connectivity, including Web browsers, in mathematics laboratories and resource centers. Mathematics students should be provided with ample opportunities for accessing the Internet through on-campus and dial-up facilities.
3. Colleges should provide mathematics faculty with access to adequate facilities for connecting to the Internet, specifically the World Wide Web, so that they can prepare classroom materials and direct their students to Web sites that contain relevant course material.
4. Colleges should provide technical support for mathematics faculty and students working with computers in the classroom or laboratory.
5. Colleges should provide professional development opportunities for mathematics faculty in effective educational uses of the Internet.
6. Colleges should provide e-mail services for faculty and students and encourage the use of e-mail as a means of communicating.
7. Colleges should provide mathematics departments and faculty with the resources to create home pages for the posting of information relating to the mathematics curriculum and the sharing of information among colleges.
8. Mathematics departments and faculty should emphasize the necessity of instruction by qualified mathematics faculty, and recognize that use of the Internet is strictly to provide educators with another technique for improving mathematics instruction.
9. Mathematics faculty and students should be cautious in the use of Internet resources, taking every precaution to ensure that any mathematical material obtained from Web sites is reliable and accurate.
10. Colleges and mathematics departments should respect faculty workloads in implementing recommendations for use of the Internet in mathematics education.

Technology in Mathematics Education Committee
Adopted November 1998back to top