Chapter 5: Linking Research and Software Development

We posit that one reason that educational software has not realized its hill potential to facilitate and encourage students’ mathematical thinking and learning is that it has not been adequately linked with research. In the majority of cases, testing the software whh target users is rare or limited to simple interface or motivational issues. Instead, we propose that software development be comprehensively linked to research to increase both the software’s educational effectiveness and the contribution the software development process makes to educational research. To accomplish diese goals, software development and research must be dynamically interacting, tighdy linked processes. In this chapter, we briefly describe principles for comprehensive research-based curriculum and software development and describe and illustrate one model for integrated development that is consistent with diese principles.