#79: Conceptions of Learning With (and Without) Technology in Undergraduate Mathematics Courses

Employing the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework, this paper investigates undergraduate students’ perceptions of digital technologies in mathematics education. While technologies are often promoted as catalysts for transforming mathematical learning, little is known about how students themselves conceptualize their value. Based on the qualitative strand of an ongoing mixed-methods study in the UK, we present an emergent analysis of three in-depth student interviews. Thematic analysis yielded three categories: learning without technology, technology as access to learning, and learning through engaging technology. Students frequently regarded technologies as barriers when they replaced core mathematical activity but valued them as efficient tools for accessing resources or as environments for independent exploration. These findings suggest that students adopt a bounded and strategic stance: resisting substitution, embracing access, and leveraging exploration. Implications are discussed for designing digital environments that support curiosity, experimentation, and differentiated pathways in undergraduate mathematics.