Mathematics Pathfinder Semester 2 2014

Adoption of Educational Technology - Franziska Moser’s Model highlights the complexities of integrating technology into teaching. Time Commitment : Depends

on • Extrinsic motivation –

organizational incentives• Intrinsic motivation – individual

variables(personal values, goals)

Competence Development – Resources/support needed to develop skills to integrate technology in a pedagogically sound way.

Course Redesign – focus on students; learning objectives via pedagogical methods.

Teaching/Learning experience, progress- affected by trustworthy infrastructure (Network, etc)

Reflection – student feedback, lecturer experience

Mathematical Proficiency- KilpatrickTerm coined to capture what is

necessary for anyone to learn mathematics successfully

Defining it in terms of five interwoven and interdependent strands to be developed in concert – “Adding it Up”

Mathematical proficiency should display attributes in mathematics that includes : -

1. Conceptual understanding: a “grasp of mathematical ideas, its comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations and relations” (Kilpatrick et al, 2001).

2. Procedural fluency: knowledge of procedures, knowledge of when and how to use them appropriately, and skill in performing them accurately

3. Strategic competence: the ability to formulate, represent and solve mathematical problems

4. Adaptive reasoning: reasoning, explanations, justification and arguments amongst many other forms of mathematical practice

5. Productive disposition: “habitual inclination to see mathematics as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in diligence and one’s own efficacy” (Kilpatrick et al, 2001, p. 131). Learners present in classrooms in which greater emphasis on effort, learning, understanding and recognition experience relatively more positive emotions

ID ‘At Risk students’ :Pre - TestCompile a Bank of questions including:• Numeracy• Ratio• Algebra: Expressions,

Fractions,Equations, Inequalities• Exponents & Surds• Function values• Graphs: Line, Parabola, Hyperbola• Trigonometry: Special Angles, Special

Angles, definitions of trig ratios,

Selection and draft pre–test (35 questions): Maths team for comment. ( No calculator)

Target group : Maths S1 Mechanical (95) and Industrial(52)

Pre-Test Logistics: venue, printing, invigilation, marking,

At Risk selection process score < 50%

Group of 30 students chosen to participate

Device distribution and setupDeclaration Ascertain security risk -

questionnaire safety forms.pdfDevice activation – setup

laptop/tabletNetwork configurationWifi activationHandover

Moodle SiteWhy – used for Geometry Short coursesince 2010• Notes of lessons• Information• Assignments• Interesting inserts/articles/CDF

..\Geometry module engineering\FiveBarLinkageModelOfTheBicycleRiderSystem.cdf

• Enrolment:• Enrol participants as users

Pathfinder List Sem 2 2014 for Kinghorn.csv

Maths Moodle site – A. Support Material:Moodle

pathfinder home page.pdfLearner guidesNotes of lessons..\Maths notes and tuts\Maths

S1 School revision - exponents.pdf

Revision assignments, Past Papers, Additional Notes, Articles of interest

Video clips

B. Assessment toolMostly quizzes – Focusing on ‘at

risk students’Guided by, “Good teaching is

getting most students to use the level of cognitive processes needed to achieve the intended outcomes that the more academic students use spontaneously.’(Biggs & Tang, 2011,p7)

Effective learning changes the way we see the world

- students must see a need to change!

“Good teaching is getting most students to use the level of cognitive processes needed to achieve the intended outcomes that the more academic students use spontaneously” (Biggs & Tang, 2011, p. 7)

Workshop on ‘Effective learning & teaching’

Develop a bank of questions• Category setupDraft Questions per Levels (1 – 3)Goal – initially 30 questions per levelSample Question Add a quiz – critical features included

- timing (open and close quiz)- duration- number of attempts- number of questions

Quiz formatTime constraintMultiple choiceShuffle questionsProvide instant feedbackMultiple attemptsReview(Quiz 2 Week 3 Level 2

statistics) Develop mainly strands – procedure, concept, disposition, reasoning.

MonitoringView logs: o Per studento Per groupo Moodle student activity- individual

report.pdf or graph.

Performance : • Individual • Group

CommunicationMessages – sampleMoodle messages.pdf

Post - TestSimilar to pre-testAscertain improvement in basic

mathsPost test sem 2 2014.docxResultsPost test analysis Adhir& Noor.xls

xFeedback and evaluation

ResearchEthical clearanceSem 2 2014 sample consent form

s.pdfOngoing -

Research Papers PAPERS UNDER PROCESSING

1. Using E-Learning Support as a Sustainable Communication Tool:

Noor Ally, Deonarain Brijlall, Surversperi Suryakumari Rajah, David Day, Adhir Maharaj and Darren Lortan;

Department of Mathematics, Durban University of Technology, South Africa

2. Investigating the Impact of E-Learning Support Material on Mathematics Learning:

Noor Ally, Deonarain Brijlall and Adhir Maharaj;Department of Mathematics, Durban University of

Technology, South Africa