  Scientific research involves mathematical modelling in the context of an
interactive balance between theory, experiment and computation. However,
computational methods and tools are still far from being appropriately
integrated in the high school and university curricula in science and
mathematics. In this chapter, we present a new way to develop computational
modelling learning activities in science and mathematics which may be
fruitfully adopted by high school and university curricula. These activities
may also be a valuable instrument for the professional development of teachers.
Focusing on mathematical modelling in the context of physics, we describe a
selection of exploratory and interactive computational modelling activities in
introductory mechanics and discuss their impact on student learning of key
physical and mathematical concepts in mechanics.
