Mathematica empowered applets for learning school algebra and calculus

We describe the development and use of Mathematica empowered applets for learning and practising algebra and calculus at secondary school level. We discuss how Mathematica can be used as back engine to evaluate students' answers and provide appropriate feedback. These applets provide scoring facilities, are fully integrated in a virtual learning environment in which answers are stored, and can be edited by teachers to create their own exercises and tests. Students benefit from the applets because the exercises help them to develop mathematical understanding and skills more thoroughly than is possible with pencil and paper. Using the applets, a teacher can review after a computer aided lesson what the students actually did, what progress they made, which problems arose during learning and to which mathematical subjects attention must be paid in the next lessons. In other words, the applets help the teacher to get insight into the learning process of students and to make grounded choices in the construction of his or her lessons.