Project Mathe-Meister

A mathematical self assessment centre with diagnostic feedback

for vocational traineesKathrin Winter

finanziert durch das

2

Motivation

„Meisterhaft“ berechnet … oder?!

finanziert durch das

3

Abstract

“Mathe-Meister” is a project in the field of research on vocational education and web based self assessments. The project is funded by the Ministry of Education and Research (bmbf, Germany) and the European Social Fund and is located at the Institute for Didactics of Mathematics and of Computer Science at the University of Münster, Germany. Target of the project is the development of a web based self assessment centre for vocational education – especially for soon-coming-students in training-courses for becoming a master in industrial or trading business such as master of merchandising, of carpentry or electronic technology. [5]

finanziert durch das

4

values

Vocational trainingMaster educationSchool

Geselle MeisterLehrling

finanziert durch das

5

Einordnung: use & exchange value

Vocational trainingMaster educationSchool

Geselle MeisterLehrling

exchange value

use value

(vgl. u. a. Coben, Diana 2002; O‘Donoghue, John 2004; Taylor, Janet 2006)

finanziert durch das

6

Einordnung: Projektteile

Vocational TrainingMaster educationSchool

Geselle MeisterLehrling

exchange value

use value

Self assessment centre

finanziert durch das

7

Einordnung: Projektteile

Vocational TrainingMaster educationSchool

Geselle MeisterLehrling

exchange value

use value

Self assessment centre

Empirical research

finanziert durch das

8

Initial Points

What’s the problem – the boundary to be crossed?!

There have been many statements of teachers in vocational education that their students may not knowthat they need mathematics in all vocational training,how much or which mathematical competences they need to be successful,to appreciate their mathematical competences.

finanziert durch das

9

Initial Points

One of the main problems in advanced vocational education in Germany is the abolition of mathematic lessons since 2005 for the benefit of situated learning: According to vocational curricula, Mathematical competences shall now be learned embedded in the context, in which it will be needed and will not longer be picked out as a explicit and isolated topic. As a consequence, the students have to check out and train their mathematical competences on their own.

That’s what we want, or?!

finanziert durch das

10

Initial Points

Additionally, many trainers miss special mathematical didactical education in the academic studies for vocational teachers. For example study lessons in the field of mathematical diagnostics or bug analysing do not exist. As a consequence they notice missing mathematical competences of the students but they can’t diagnose the mistakes and problems in detail.Based on these facts Prof. M. Stein (University of Münster, Germany) initiated the project ‘Mathe-Meister’, starting up in October 2007.

finanziert durch das

11

Identify the problem in detail

Existing deficits of potantial students of master courses

Electrican, age 21

finanziert durch das

12

Identify the problem in detail

Existing deficits of ongoing students of master courses

Electrician, age 27

finanziert durch das

13

Conditions and aims

The self-assessment-centre is meant to help future students of advanced vocational courses toappreciate their own mathematical competences in view of their chosen business,detect their individual mathematical deficits by using the tests andrealise the possible negative effects of their deficits to their future master education.

finanziert durch das

14

Aims

Attendants with deficits in mathematical knowledge or competences getinformation and hints for getting the correct answers to each item,advice to helpful textbooks, educational computer programs and lections at vocational training places, especially at the “Industrie- und Handelskammer” (chamber of industry and commerce) or “Handwerkskammer” (chamber of handicrafts) andan individual diagnostic report to each individual wrong chosen answer to the test items.

finanziert durch das

15

How – or „The way of looking at the problem

Using the World Wide Web for realising the project suggests itself. Realising such a web based test including a real-time analysis report with individual diagnostic information to every user represents an actual and yet not solved problem in an interrelated field of computer science, didactics of information technologies, didactics of mathematics and vocational training.

finanziert durch das

16

Consequences

As a consequence, it is necessary to check out the basic mathematic themes and competences for each embedded occupational area, which are required to work successfully. With regard to every mathematical theme and competence we developed diagnostically significant test items.

finanziert durch das

17

How to get detailed information?!

Which mathematical competences are needing in the several jobs?To identify the required basic mathematical themes and competences we analysed training books and interviewed teachers. The disappearance of mathematic lessons in advanced vocational training also implies a lack of mathematical textbooks in this field. So we had to analyse training books of each job field to extract the mathematical items.We give an example of an exercise for Electrical Engineers. In this exercise the students have to calculate different data in an engineering drawing. Figure 1 shows the engineering drawing and the given data. Figure 2 shows one of the calculations based on this exercise.

finanziert durch das

18

Strukturen

Projektstart 2007/2008Projektabschluss (2010/2011)Gesamtkosten: ca. 600.000,- €Hauptfinanzierung durch das BMBF mit 418.000,- €Enge Zusammenarbeit mit bundesweit verteilten Handwerks- sowie Industrie- und Handelskammern

Einbindung vonAusbildernMeisterschülern undMeistern im Beruf

finanziert durch das

19

Analysing mathematical basics

Introductory example for masters in electronic Engineering. Exercise: Calculation of different data in an engineering Drawing .

finanziert durch das

20

Analysing mathematical basics

To check out the needed basic mathematical competences to solve this exercise we analysed the exercises of different jobs. Figure 2 demonstrates the extraction of basic mathematical competences and themes in one example of calculation:

finanziert durch das

21

Analysing mathematical basics

finanziert durch das

22

Or shall it goes on like this … ?!

Thank you for your attention!

http://www.mathe-meister.de