University Outreach Sharing the Excitement of Learning Mathematics

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University Outreach Sharing the Excitement of
Learning Mathematics

• Toni Beardon
• University of Cambridge
• mmp.maths.org

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Content of talk

• Introduction
• Outreach from universities to promote mathematics
  in the world
• Advances in ICT - consequent changes in society
  and work
• Need for different skills and consequences for
  education
• The Digital Divide
• How can we use ICT to narrow the gap in
  educational opportunities?
• Some statistics about access to education
  worldwide
• 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

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21st century global school and university campus

• www has no age, gender, social or racial
  barriers
• Question How can university outreach
• best use new technology to
• promote public understanding of mathematics
• 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?

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Two inter-related programmes AIMS and AIMSSEC

• Both projects based in Muizenberg, serving Africa
• Depend on sponsorship funding and teaching by
  unpaid volunteers
• Partnership between Universities
• The Western Cape, Stellenbosch, Cape Town and
  Cambridge
• AIMS residential institute, one year masters
  level mathematics course
• 50 students from 20 African countries started
  September 2003
• Teaching philosophy enquiry based learning,
  discussion and problem solving in a collegiate
  atmosphere
• AIMSSEC outreach to support school mathematics
• Courses for teachers both residential and
  distance learning
• askAIMS - African online mathematical forum and
  answering service
• Motivate videoconference lessons with schools
  around the world
• AIMS graduates tutoring in schools e.g
  Maths/Science clubs
• Distribution of learning resources
• Strong local management and roots (but drawing on
  MMP/NRICH)

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• AIMSSEC is based in Muizenberg, South Africa, at
  the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences
  (AIMS). AIMSSEC was established in January 2004
  following a wide ranging consultation exercise
  and feasibility study. AIMSSEC works
  collaboratively with the SA education authorities
  and with schools, universities and educational
  organisations. Both AIMS and AIMSSEC are joint
  initiatives of the three Western Cape
  universities and Cambridge and depend entirely on
  sponsorship funding. The AIMS and AIMSSEC courses
  are taught by volunteer visiting lecturers from
  universities around the world making these
  courses highly cost effective. AIMSSEC does not
  yet have sufficient funding to employ local staff
  but is seeking funding to do so. All the
  teachers taking AIMSSEC courses receive
  bursaries.
• The AIMSSEC activities already up and running in
  South Africa include professional development
  courses for teachers, an online mathematical
  community and answering service (
  http//aims.ac.za/askaims ), twinning of
  schools, a programme of interactive
  video-conference mathematics lessons linking
  primary and secondary schools with schools in the
  UK and other countries, and a series of popular
  mathematics lectures for schools and for the
  general public held in the rural communities and
  in the MTN ScienCentre in Cape Town. See
  http//aims.ac.za/aimssec for details of events,
  courses and future plans.
• There is a great need for teacher professional
  development and other support for mathematics
  education in South Africa. The backlog from so
  many years of apartheid education is immense. The
  AIMSSEC ten day residential courses for
  mathematics teachers are followed by three months
  distance learning. Workshops and short course are
  run for the South African teachers to help them
  to work with their classes on the project work
  for the video-conferences. An associated research
  study and evaluation is being carried out by
  Joanne Hardman from UCT with Jenny Gage and Toni
  Beardon.
• AIMSSEC enjoys the use of very good facilities
  in the AIMS building and help from the AIMS staff
  and it draws on the Cambridge University
  NRICH/MMP Outreach Projects (see
  http//nrich.maths.org http//motivate.maths.org
  http//thesaurus.maths.org http//plus.maths.or
  g ) through the voluntary work done by the MMP
  personnel and the free license to re-publish
  their resource material. Funding is being sought
  to enable AIMSSEC to employ staff in South Africa
  to run courses for teachers and to adapt the
  large archive of NRICH resources to put onto CDs,
  indexed to the South African School Mathematics
  Curriculum, with translations into African
  languages for the youngest learners, and to
  distribute the CDs free to all South African
  schools.
• Please help AIMSSEC to support mathematics
  learning and teaching in Africa.

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AIMSSEC Now and Future
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Shortage of teachers with mathematics and science
qualifications a serious problem in UK and USA
as well as in developing 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

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The backlogs from so many years of apartheid
education

• Illiteracy rates are high, 30 of adults over 15
  years (6-8 million adults) are not functionally
  literate
• Teachers in rural township schools are poorly
  trained
• The percentages of the population over 20 years
  of age with a high school or higher qualification
  are 65 of whites, 40 of Indians,
• 17 of the coloured population and 14 of
  blacks South Africans.
• South African learners achieve poor results in
  international comparisons behind other African
  countries (Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Botswana,
  Ghana). The table below gives the results in The
  Trends in International Mathematics and Science
  Study (TIMMS 2003).

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• Advances in
• Information Communication Technology

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Speed of penetration of ICT and expectations of
change

• Worldwide, it took 38 years for TV to reach 50
  million users
• 4 years for internet to reach 50 million users
• Computers and globalisation have transformed the
  workplace
• Students today face a new era with demands for
  new skills
• Is educational change keeping pace?

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Impact of ICT on students

• Students have increasing daily access to a range
  of technologies
• cellphones, personal organisers, cameras,
  calculators
• 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

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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

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ICT - a catalyst for change Can ICT be used to
narrow the gap?

• Events with similar impact on education
• Invention of the printing press
• Internet and communication technology
• Effects
• Increased public access to information
• Increased educational opportunities

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In the developed world has education failed to
deliver?

• As a result of investment in ICT infrastructure
  has there been the expected widespread
  change in educational practice and educational
  standards?
• What is expected?
• What improvements in academic performance
  should arise from access to ICT?
• How do we judge success?
• How should independent learning skills and skills
  in finding, analysing, understanding and
  communicating knowledge be assessed?
• Are the assessment standards of the last century
  appropriate today since technology has changed
  the roles of people in the workplace and in
  society?
• What is the place of learning by rote?

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Can educators use ICT to close the gaps in
educational 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.
• Free Online, TV newspaper lessons e.g.
  http//www.mindset.co.za/learn/
• Free Software - http//www.opensource.org/
• For learning mathematics http//www.quickmat
  h.com/ http//mathworld.wolfram.com/
• http//www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.u
  k/history/
• BUT Bandwidth costs favour the
  developed world
• Across Digital Divide, CDs are a cheap
  substitute for internet
• Satellite links spread connectivity to rural
  areas
• Simputer http//www.simputer.org/ and
  solarpc http//solarpc.com/
• The Digital Divide Network
  http//www.digitaldivide.net/

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• Statistics on access to the internet
• and access to education worldwide

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http//www.internetwordlstats.com/stats.htm

• Updated 31 March 2005

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The Digital Divide Internet penetration-
percentage of population

• Sweden 73.6 (highest in Europe)
• Hong Kong 69.9 (highest in Asia)
• USA 67.8
• UK 58.7
• China 7.3
• South Africa 7.3
• India 3.6
• DRC Congo 0.1 (9,900 inc. in 5 years)

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Participation in lower secondary education age
11-15UNESCO Institute for Statistics-Montreal
2005
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Comparison of enrolments in lower and upper
secondary education

• Fewer of upper secondary age range (16 to 19)
  have access to education.
• eg In Africa less than 40 have access to
  upper secondary education.
• UNESCO goals
• Parity education for all
• Equity equal educational opportunities and
  outcomes

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Access 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
  education
• student fees, student debt
• majority of students in employment while studying
  

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• Some examples of collaborative learning and
  web-based technologies

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Peer Assisted Learning

• askAIMS
• Ask-a-Mathematician service
• from the African Institute for
• Mathematical Sciences in
• Muizenberg South Africa 2003
• http//aims.ac.za/askaims
• Note askNRICH is a very active worldwide
  community. The plan is to develop askAIMS
  similarly with a uniquely African identity to
  serve Africa.

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

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Please 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!!!

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• The askNRICH Community
• Hi, My name is Arun Iyer. I am
  male, 20 (to be 21 next month). I am from India
  (near Bombay). I am currently pursuing my
  bachelor's degree in computer engineering and i
  am in my final year. (Soon i will be hunting for
  my masters and if GOD wishes i might complete my
  PhD just after it). My dream is pursuing
  research. (Largely related to Algorithm Analysis,
  Neural Networks, Computer Vision and NLP) I
  interest myself in various fields which include
  philosophy, psychology, physics, maths, genetics
  (the only part in biology that i like) and chem
  (that is i love to hate chem). As far as my
  love for mathematics goes, i dig many fields.
  Picking a favourite really becomes harder but
  number theory really is the most attractive one.
  I also love group theory for that matter. Hmm i
  also love Probability Theory .. duh u get the
  idea ... As far as computers go, i am pretty
  much ok with C,C,Java,SQL,Prolog(Edinburgh
  type) and for web programming i am ok with
  HTML,ASP and Javascript. I love programming but
  currently i am more interested in the theoretical
  analysis of various programs. My Other
  interests include music (writing and reciting
  poems), stories and plays (used to write them ,
  currently i have no time either for poems or
  stories/plays), watching cartoons and animes,
  solving riddles and puzzles(yes i love to solve
  but this doesnt necessarily mean i can actually
  solve P) and finally enjoying nature whenever i
  get a chance. What NRICH means to me? It
  means a lot. When i first came here i was a
  toddler (even tho i was 15/16 years old). I knew
  nothing when it comes to mathematics , i barely
  knew some basic algebra and geometry. NRICH
  practically opened the gateway to a whole new
  mathematics for me. It showed there are things
  beyond numbers involved in mathematics. I will
  also take this opportunity to thank the NRICH
  members who were always supportive and
  considerate no matter how stupid a comment i made
  during my posts. Arun

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http//thesaurus.maths.org
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The Motivate Projectmotivate.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

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Motivate conferences schools sign up on
http//motivate.maths.org to take part

• The 2VC program starts with a brief
  preliminary task to be done in the week before
  the 1st VC
• 1st VC is interactive with tasks, experiments and
  discussions for students as well as input from an
  expert
• 4-5 weeks for project work to be done in schools,
  resources and information provided on website
• 2nd VC for students to present their work to each
  other, ask each other questions, and receive
  feedback from the expert
• Alternatively
• Day conferences or year long series

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The Space Science Year Long Programme

• VCs led by Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright, from the
  Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge and the
  Greenwich Observatory
• 6 VCs in the year work on the solar system, our
  galaxy, the universe
• 2 London and 2 South African schools
• Space Science as a context for cross-curricular
  topics in maths and science
• A short clip

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NRICH Maths club for young peopleSupport
service for teachersFREE

• 150,000 regular users
• in 130 countries
• http//nrich.maths.org
• http//plus.maths.org http//thesaurus.maths.org

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NRICH Online Maths Club started in 1996

• Problems, puzzles, games, articles published
  monthly
• Interactive and pencil and paper challenges no
  competition
• Childrens solutions published
• Sections for all ages

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NRICH - communication lines

• Networking in a world-wide community
• askNRICH discussion forum/answering service
  enables school students to discuss maths with
  each other and with university students
• Independent learners get answers to questions
• Broadens vision of nature of mathematics
• Opportunities to learn in exciting new ways
• Web conferences - special interest groups
• Video-conferences link schools across the world

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Other Services

• Professional development courses for teachers -
  on mathematics, ICT, pedagogy, research
• Centre for research studies
• Support for Action Research by teachers
• Workshops and classes for children
• Roadshow Maths Fun Fairs - visiting schools,
  shopping malls and other public places
• Assistance for starting Maths Clubs
• Video-links to disadvantaged schools and setting
  up video-conferencing centres

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Global-campus e-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)

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African Institute for Mathematical Sciences
Schools Enrichment Centre AIMSSEC

• Global links, videoconference lessons, school
  partnerships
• Accredited professional development courses for
  teachers with distance learning, also short
  courses
• Training teachers in the use of ICT in teaching
  maths
• askAIMS gives mathematical help to teachers and
  to learners
• Network for teachers to support and help each
  other
• AIMS students and graduates as volunteer tutors
  e.g. maths and science clubs in schools
• Popular lectures and workshops
• Distribution of free learning resources
• AIMS students and graduates install linux
  computer systems in schools (Jans initiative
  with Shuttleworth Foundation)

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Thank you

• AIMSSEC - Muizenberg South Africa MMP
  - Cambridge England
• Toni Beardon
• lab11_at_cam.ac.uk