aimssec ewm conference cambridge sept. 2007 university outreach the impact of computers and the...

EWM Conference Cambridge Sept. 2007

AIMSSECwww.aims.ac.za/aimssec

University Outreach University Outreach The impact of computers The impact of computers

and the internet and the internet on globalising mathematics educationon globalising mathematics education

Toni BeardonUniversity of Cambridge

mmp.maths.org


Content of talkContent of talkIntroduction

Outreach from universities to promote mathematics around the world

Advances in ICT - consequent changes in society and workNeed for different skills and effects on educationThe Digital DivideSome statistics about access to education worldwideHow can we use ICT to narrow the gap in educational opportunities?

Examples of collaborative learning and web-based technologies Experiments in using ICT for academic collaboration at all levels PAL - Peer Assisted Learning Interactive web-publishing Videoconferencing Multilingual thesaurus Problem posing and problem solving as a shared activity


STIMULUS

Thesaurus

Courses for

teachers

Masterclasses

Roadshow Plus

CodebreakingEnigma

Motivatevideo

conferences

Popular lectures

AskNRICH

NRICHonlineclub

mmp

http://stimulus.maths.org/

http://thesaurus.maths.org/

http://nrich.maths.org/public/viewer.php?obj_id=2695


http://ricambs.maths.org/

http://mmp.maths.org/projects/roadshow.html

http://plus.maths.org/

http://mmp.maths.org/projects/enigma.html



http://motivate.maths.org/



http://mmp.maths.org/events/eventlist.php

http://mmp.maths.org/events/eventlist.php

http://nrich.maths.org/discus

http://mmp.maths.org/


Two inter-related programmesTwo inter-related programmes AIMS and AIMSSECAIMS and AIMSSEC

Both projects based in Muizenberg, serving Africa

Partnership between Universities:

The Western Cape, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Cambridge, Oxford, Paris-Sud-XI

1. AIMS – residential institute, one year masters level mathematics course• 50 students – started September 2003 - students from across Africa.• Teaching philosophy: enquiry based learning, discussion and problem

solving in a collegiate atmosphere …• AMINET – similar institutes being set up in Uganda, Ghana and other

African countries.

2. AIMSSEC - interactive school mathematics programme• Strong local management and roots (but drawing on MMP/NRICH)• Professional development courses for teachers • Motivate videoconference masterclasses linking schools around the

world• askAIMS - African online mathematical forum• Learning resources distributed on CDs with links to SA school

curriculum• Distance learning and online community


AIMSSEC Now and Future AIMSSEC Now and Future

ThesaurusAfrican

Languages

Roadshow

Research

Local Partners

Popular lectures

Global school

twinning

Videoconflessons

AIMSSchoolTutors

askAIMS

Distance Learning

CoursesFor

Teachers

Learning Resources

AIMSSEC

http://www.aims.ac.za/aimssec/motivate.php

http://www.aims.ac.za/aimssec/motivate.php

http://www.aims.ac.za/askaims

http://www.aims.ac.za/aimssec/




Legacy of Apartheid in SA Legacy of Apartheid in SA EducationEducation

“My department's policy is that Bantu education should stand with both feet in the reserves and have its roots in the spirit and being of Bantu society... There is no place for [the Bantu] in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour... What is the use of teaching the Bantu child mathematics when it cannot use it in practice? That is quite absurd. Education must train in accordance with their opportunities in life, according to the sphere in which they live.” Verwoerd 1953


Shortage of teachers with Shortage of teachers with mathematics and science mathematics and science

qualificationsqualifications a serious problem in UK and USA as well as in a serious problem in UK and USA as well as in

developing worlddeveloping world “The shortage of competent teachers results in less qualified and inadequately prepared teachers assuming teaching roles. The negative consequence hereof manifests as a vicious cycle of low quality teaching, poor learner performance, and a constant undersupply of quality teachers” The South African Government National Strategy for Mathematics Science and Technology 2005-2009


The backlogs from so many years The backlogs from so many years of apartheid education of apartheid education

• Illiteracy rates are high, 30% of adults over 15 years old (6-8 million adults) are not functionally literate

• Percentage of population over 20 years old with high school or higher qualification: 65% of whites, 40% of Indians, 17% of the coloured population and 14% of blacks

• Teachers in rural & township schools are poorly trained• South African learners achieve poor results in

international comparisons behind other African countries. In The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS 2003), SA learners scored 264 points for mathematics and 244 for science compared to international averages of 467 and 474.


Advances in Information Communication

Technology


Global school and university Global school and university campuscampus

No age, gender, social or racial barriers

How can we best use new technology to1. promote public understanding of mathematics2. improve the quality of mathematics education

• at school level – to raise standards of university intake• at undergraduate level for full and part time students• at research level for academic collaboration


Speed of penetration of ICT Speed of penetration of ICT and expectations of changeand expectations of change

• TV reached 50 million users worldwide in 38 years

• WWW reached 50 million in 4 years Tim Berners-Lee 1991 libwww CERN 1993 Mosaic 1994 Netscape 1995 IE

• WWW now has 1,173 million users, after 16 years

• Computers and globalisation have transformed the workplace

• Students today face a new era with demands for new skills

• Is educational change keeping pace?


Can ICT bridge the educational Can ICT bridge the educational gap?gap?

The internet and communication technology is of equal importance in

society to the invention of the printing press

Increased public access to information and increased educational opportunities

Investment in ICT infrastructure

Has there been the expected widespread change in educational practice and educational standards?


Impact of ICT on studentsImpact of ICT on students• Students have increasing daily access to a range of

technologies:• cellphones, personal organisers, cameras, calculators,

gps• TV, videos, music, computer games• internet to find information, communicate, purchase, play

• Most of this access is outside formal learning environment

• Learning is often through play

• Learning style inherently non-linear, experiential

• Reference to instruction manual is last resort

• Association and creativity are crucial strategies


Where does learning happen?Where does learning happen?• Schools and universities not the only arena for

education

• Modern society requires lifelong learning

• ICT contributes in other areas to the overall level of education in society

eg. Health• greater access for patients to information via

technology• improved understanding of issues by patients• recording and playback of angiograms• body scanning, pregnancy scanning


In the developed worldIn the developed world

has ‘education’ failed to has ‘education’ failed to deliver?deliver?

What is expected? What improvements in academic performance should arise

from access to ICT?

Technology has changed the role of people in the workplace and in society. We have easy and free access to information sources. e.g. http://www.quickmath.com/ http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/ Independent learning skills and skills in finding, analysing, understanding and

communicating knowledge score over more traditional ways of learning and over learning by rote.

How do we judge success in education? Are the assessment standards of the last century

appropriate today?

http://www.quickmath.com/

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/



http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/


Statistics on access to the internetand access to education worldwide


Internet Usage – The Big PictureInternet Usage – The Big Picture http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

Updated June 2007

http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm


The Digital Divide The Digital Divide Internet penetration- percentage of Internet penetration- percentage of

populationpopulation • Sweden 75.6% (highest in Europe)• USA 69.7%• Hong Kong 68.2% (highest in Asia)• UK 62.3%• China 12.3%• South Africa 10.3%• India 3.7%• Sierra Leone 0.2% (lowest in Africa)


Access to Higher EducationAccess to Higher Education• Average for 30 OECD countries is 47% of 18-30 age group

New Zealand 76%Finland 71%UK 45%USA 43%

• E-learning and distance learning extend access and opportunities

• Changes in student demography in developed world

increase in proportion of age cohort in higher educationstudent fees, student debt majority of students in employment while studying


Can educators use ICT to close Can educators use ICT to close the gaps in educational the gaps in educational

opportunities?opportunities? …. not a level playing field

The internet is a cheap way to distribute learning resources and provide adult education

Government and local education authority networks distribute learning resources and enable sharing of ideas – including downloads and caches.

Bandwidth costs favour the developed world

Across Digital Divide, CD’s are a cheap substitute for internet

Satellite links spread connectivity to rural areas

Simputer http://www.simputer.org/ and solarpc http://solarpc.com/

Free Software - http://www.opensource.org/

The Digital Divide Network – http://www.digitaldivide.net/

http://www.simputer.org/

http://solarpc.com/

http://www.digitaldivide.net/

http://www.digitaldivide.net/


Some examples of collaborative

learning and web-based technologies


Peer Assisted LearningPeer Assisted Learning

askAIMSAsk-a-Mathematician service from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Muizenberg South Africa

2003http://www.aims.ac.za/askaims

Science Technology Informatics & Mathematics Undergraduate Links between University & Schools 1987 askNRICH Ask-a-Mathematician service Online Discussion Forum 1997http://nrich.maths.org/discus







Carl’s Question to askNRICHCarl’s Question to askNRICH

Carl. 12.27pm 3 June: Hi, With less than 4 days to go before my A level

maths exams, I really should be able to do this, and so I'm quite annoyed at myself. Please could someone help?

Find, in terms of π, the complete set of values of θ in the interval: 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2 π for which the roots of equation (1) are real:

x2 +2x sin θ +3cos2 θ = 0 (1) Now show that the roots of the equation: x2 + (5cos2θ +1)x + 9cos4 θ = 0 (2) are the squares of the roots of equation (1)

See askedNRICH

http://nrich.maths.org/askedNRICH/edited/964.html


The response from askNRICHThe response from askNRICH

James. 2.00 pm 3 June Gives first response, advising on how to proceed

Carl 12.16 am 4 June Hi James, I'm going to try it myself now, I'll post a message to let you know how I got on. I think I'll be able to solve it now.

9 more messages with discussion of the concepts and method

Carl 12.18 pm 5 June That makes it very clear, thanks very much. It must have taken you a while. If you're doing uni exams, good luck to you too!

…. See Onward & Upward on askNRICH

https://nrich.maths.org/discus/messages/27/27.html?1188759541




Please ExplainPlease Explain By Woon Khang Tang, age 17, to askNRICH Thank you!!! Even though I don't really understand at first

glance, but I'll print it out and read it again until I understand. I'm sure I'll understand, and a million thanks for your detail explanation.

I'm really desperate after I've gone through dozens of books and my teacher didn't explain why.

I was really surprised when I asked my friends and they told me just memorize the formula. As long as you know how to apply the formula, it's ok. I really hate to memorize formulas without understanding and proving them. Without understanding the formula, when I apply the formula, it's like you can find the right answer easily, but you don't know what the heck are you doing, and that's really really stupid!!!


http://http://thesaurus.maths.orgthesaurus.maths.org




The Motivate ProjectThe Motivate Projectmotivate.maths.orgmotivate.maths.org

• provides maths and science videoconference lessons linking schools in UK, India, Pakistan, Singapore South Africa

• school teachers learn along with their students• enriches the mathematical/scientific experience of

school students of all ages• gives students opportunities to:

• learn from an expert• go beyond the curriculum• work collaboratively with their class-mates• do their own independent research• communicate with other students across the world• present their work to an authentic audience



Space Science Space Science Example of a Year Long ProgrammeExample of a Year Long Programme

• 6 VCs in the year – work on the solar system, our galaxy, the universe • 2 London and 2 South African schools• VCs led by Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright, from

the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge and the Greenwich Observatory

A short clip:


Global-campus Global-campus e-learning for school studentse-learning for school students

“NRICH has helped spread the idea that

maths can be something the world can do together. It has increased awareness that there is maths going on everywhere. We have fun doing these problems.”

(Secondary teacher, NRICH Evaluation 1997/98)


Problem Solving Problem Solving A Gateway to ResearchA Gateway to Research

Moving forward from teaching and learning

about mathematics

to include more teaching and learning

how to do mathematicshow to communicate

mathematics


We’ll look at a selection of problems from the NRICH website and think about how they might be useful in developing mathematical understanding and skills.

Subject contentRoot Tracker Quadratic & cubic equations Complex

numbers2 and 4 Dimensional Numbers Complex Numbers Quaternions FieldsFlight Path 3D Geometry Trigonometry Epidemic Modelling Statistics Analysing dataDiophantine n-tuples Number Theory Em’power’ed Indices EquatonsSalinon Ratio Circles AreaDiffers Dynamical SystemsWhy 24? Prime numbers FactorsKeep You Distance Triangles Quadrilaterals PolygonsBasket Case Arithmetic Sums and productsVecten Geometry Recurrence relations




Basket CaseFind four amounts of money which added or multiplied together both give

£7.11

Keep Your DistanceDraw 4 points so that there are only 2 different distances between any of

them

Why 24?Take any prime number, square it, subtract 1, divide by 24. What happens?

Why?

Em’power’edFind the smallest natural numbers a, b and c such that

Salinon Compare the shaded area (made up of semi-circles) with the area of the circle on AB as diameter.

2 3 52 3a b c


A selection of problems from the NRICH website: Mathematical Skills

Root Tracker Visualising Conjecturing Proving 2 and 4 Dimensional Numbers Using isomorphism Independent

learning Linking concepts Appreciating history Flight Path Modeling physical situationsEpidemic Modelling Modeling real life Setting parameters,

Analysing dataDiophantine n-tuples Proving Appreciating history

Cutting edge researchEm’power’ed Using algebraSalinon Proving AestheticsDiffers Investigating Spotting patterns

Making and proving conjecturesWhy 24? ProvingKeep You Distance Working systematicallyBasket Case Using trial and improvementVecten Making and proving conjectures


Thank youThank you

AIMSSEC - Muizenberg South Africa MMP - Cambridge England

Toni Beardon [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


AIMSSEC needs funds to continue its AIMSSEC needs funds to continue its work in South Africa and every little work in South Africa and every little

helps:helps:• £2.50 pays for a learner in SA to take part in a video-conference

masterclass linking SA & UK schools. This pays for the bus to take the learners to the Science Centre in Cape Town and for all the expenses connected with the video-link. Usually 120 South African children take part in each video-conference.

• £10 pays for a resource pack of learning materials for teaching mathematics.

• £300 pays all expenses for a teacher for a 10 day residential professional development course followed by 3 months distance learning. This includes travel, tuition, accommodation, food, stationery and a package of teaching and learning materials to take back to school.

• £15,000 is the total cost of a 10-day residential course for 50 teachers followed by 3 months distance learning.

• The AIMSSEC account is administered by the University of Stellenbosch.• For details of how to make a donation through the Stellenbosch

Foundation Charitable Trust see: http://www0.sun.ac.za/stigting/make_a_donation_give.html

• Please send a covering letter saying that the donation is to AIMSSEC and what you would like the money to be used for. Cheques should be made payable to: Stellenbosch Foundation -AIMSSEC Cost Centre R268

aimssec ewm conference cambridge sept. 2007 university outreach the impact of computers and the...

Documents

ewm conference cambridge

bantu education

online community slide

sa education

bantu child mathematics

shortage of teachers

shared activity slide

bantu society