Enthusiasm for the use of

Answer choices

1. A

   Weakens2% picked this

   Some students who know how to use calculators also thoroughly understand the mathematical principles

   This states that some students using calculators also understand the principles, which undermines the argument against calculator use by showing that calculators don't necessarily impede learning.

   2%
2. B

   No Impact1% picked this

   Slide rules, which are less technologically sophisticated analogues of calculators, were widely used in the learning of

   This hints that slide rules were used before calculators despite their limitations. It doesn't address the effectiveness of manual calculation vs. calculator use or the retention of principles, so it has no direct impact.

   1%
3. C

   Correct86% picked this

   It is much more important that students retain the knowledge of general principles than that this

   Why this is right

   This suggests that retaining knowledge is more important than merely acquiring it, reinforcing the argument that calculators, which hinder retention, should be limited. It emphasizes the downside of calculators by assigning greater value to the learning outcome that calculators supposedly compromise.

   Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   86%
4. D

   Weakens4% picked this

   Habits that are acquired by laborious and sometimes tedious practice are not as valuable as those

   This highlights that calculations done with practice (potentially manually) are less valuable than those mastered painlessly (potentially with calculators), which goes against the argument for restricting calculator use.

   4%
5. E

   Unclear Impact6% picked this

   Teachers’ enthusiasm for new educational aids is often not proportional to the pedagogical effectiveness

   We don't know whether this is a case of teachers' having disproportional enthusiasm, and even if it is, this answer wouldn't tell us whether they are being more or less enthusiastic than they should be, based on the pedagogical (i.e. teaching) effectiveness of calculators.

   6%