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 To: Washington State University FacultyFrom: Garrett PitschSubject: Conventional Graphing Calculator or Graphing Calculator AppsPurposeThe purpose of this memo is to present my observations and results from comparing a conventional scientific graphing calculator to two different mobile applications. I will also give my recommendation as to whether or not the conventional calculator should be required for use in classes.SummaryStudents are required to spend hundreds of dollars on scientific graphing calculators when cheaper mobile applications exist that could perform just as well. To research whether or not this requirement is necessary I took two mobile applications and compared them to a conventional graphing calculator and make observations about my experience with each. I’d later find that I had a far better experience using the mobile applications that I had downloaded for free compared to the conventional calculator which was far more expensive. I would go on to conclude that any requirements for conventional graphing calculators aren’t necessary and recommend that the use of cheaper mobile applications be encouraged.IntroductionThere are many classes in college and virtually every other educational institution out there that requires the use of a scientific graphing calculator. Unfortunately, the “conventional” physical models like the TI-84 cost around $100 or more which for students who are trying to save money is problem. Today with the increased usage of mobile applications or “apps” with some claiming to be calculators themselves and that they’re available for free, is it really necessary to continue to require students to spend a significant amount of money for a device that hasn’t really changed much in the past several years.Research MethodsTo research this question I took my TI-84 Plus Silver Edition calculator which I’ve already owned for many years, and compared it against two different mobile apps I found on the Google Play Store by searching “graphing calculator”. The first app is called Desmos Graphing Calculator and the second is called Graphing Calculator by Mathlab. From there, I would first spend time with each calculator first making any initial observations. After that, I would proceed to use them in similar everyday situations from my usual weekly routine such as completing homework assignments or participating in in-class problems and noting my observations about my experience for each calculator.ResultsThe following are my observations that were made with the first paragraph of each calculator containing initial observations before using them. The second paragraph contains observations made while using them in everyday situations.Graphing Calculator by MathlabThis app is available for free but has a pro edition for $4.99. Interface is simple and intuitive with a variety of secondary functions which is useful for the few buttons it can fit onto the screen. Has a full keyboard for letters, numbers, symbols, and greek letters. Also has a library of constants and functions that can be added to by the user. Initially, appears to pack a lot of features and functionality.The multi function buttons have made entering complex equations quick and easy. Quite possibly the best feature I’ve seen is it’s ability to simplify and even solve complex equations in real time and also allows variables. This combined with its ability to display the problem you entered as how one would write on paper, made solving problems and finding my own errors in equation entry extremely fast and easy. The graphing and table features also work in real time.Desmos Graphing CalculatorThis app is available for free. Interface, much like the previous app is simple and intuitive but slightly less colorful. Has a full keyboard as well as a whole library of functions. Has a list of examples of graphing features it can do including parabolas and linear regression. Initially, it appears to provide at least enough features and functionality to cover the basics that are required for these types of calculators.Like the previous app I observed, it can visualize, solve equations, and display graphs all in real times however it doesn’t allow variables to be set to certain values and it currently can’t solve complex problems. I found myself spending more time solving similar problems compared to the previous app.TI-84 Plus Silver EditionI’ve owned this calculator for many years but the closest current price I could find according to is around $150. Has a large array of buttons each capable of multiple functions. Display is a really low resolution compared to my mobile device that I used for the two apps. Has its own list of apps installed and is also programmable.Displays equations on single lines only which made finding entry errors difficult especially with multiple parentheses. Various functions such as displaying graphs take a noticeable amount of time to load. The low resolution display made graphs sometimes difficult to see and interpret. Only allows numerical based calculations only allowing variables on the graphing function which made problem solving extremely tedious and time consuming.ConclusionsThe apps both allowed for real time graphing and equation solving while the TI-84 didn’t allow for real-time operation or variables so can only calculate equations with actual numbers. Both apps are available for free while the TI-84 is $150 at full price. Even taking into account the $4.99 price for the pro edition of one of the apps, the TI-84 is still 30 times more expensive. Based on my observations, it’s clear that the apps I used can provide the same if not better functionality and features for much less in terms of cost when compared to a conventional calculator. I could go as far to say that the apps I used were far superior compared to my TI-84 because they were easy to use, had many useful features, they were cheap, and allowed me to complete my work in a noticeably short amount of time.RecommendationBased on these conclusions my recommendation is to no longer require students to purchase conventional scientific graphing calculators and instead favor and encourage the use of applications that are available on mobile devices that are cheaper or free. It should also be noted that there are many of these apps out there that may not be like the ones I tested so user experience will vary depending on which app they use. For that reason it may be reasonable to take feedback from students that use these apps and build a list of which ones to recommend to other students. ................
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