Students’ Understanding of the Mean Through Technology-Mediated Analysis of Real-Life Data

Abstract

This study conducts cognitive research in digital environments to bridge students’ understanding of the mean and the use of technology for data analysis. By activating definitions, properties, arguments, representations, and algorithms of the mean, this study approaches the questions: (1) How does using Microsoft Excel affect the configuration of students’ meaning of the mean? (2) What semiotic conflicts are associated with using Microsoft Excel and a real dataset? We applied an open-ended questionnaire to 17 engineering students taking the introductory Probability and Statistics course that integrates Microsoft Excel as a didactic strategy. The data collection used convenience sampling with the students enrolled in the fall of 2022. We found that technology for data analysis is more than a complementary tool for students because it allows them to express their reasoning through virtual representations. The analysis yielded new semiotic conflicts in students’ calculation of the mean. The data suggests that the tendency to make calculation errors increases when data analysis involves raw data extracted from real life.