Teaching Mathematics with Technology

1. Teaching Mathematics with Technology Birgit Loch Mathematics Engineering and Science Education Research Group Swinburne University of Technology bloch@swin.edu.au

2. Overview • Why use technologies? • Electronic writing in class and for recordings • 2 ideas to change the way we teach • Immediate feedback (Step 1 and Step 2) • Roaming about Teaching Mathematics with Technology

3. Chalk and blackboard? • It worked for us! • It needs minimal preparation and no post-production www.cosmosmagazine.com Teaching Mathematics with Technology

4. What’s wrong with chalk and blackboard? • We are teaching mostly non-mathematicians • Your back to students • It is focused on face to face teaching www.cosmosmagazine.com Teaching Mathematics with Technology

5. What’s wrong with PowerPoint? PDF slideshows? • An example from MathsCasts (also investigated with Jordan, Lowe, Mestel & Wilkins (2011)) • Handwriting gives you ‘a sense of “doing maths”’ • ‘Handwriting imparts methodology better’ • Students need to see how handwriting is set out • But: typed is neater and easier to read! Teaching Mathematics with Technology

6. How did I get involved in educational technologies? • Teaching first year calculus and linear algebra at UQ Loch (2005) Teaching Mathematics with Technology

7. Electronic writing in class Teaching Mathematics with Technology

8. Student feedback • “Perfect lecture set up. Perfect course for that matter, I’ve really enjoyed this subject, each maths subject should have this setup” (UQ student, 2004) • “It brings the whole lecture virtually anywhere along with you. Loved it. Great approach.” (Swinburne student, 2010) • “I found the slides to be vital in my learning” (Swinburne student, 2010) Teaching Mathematics with Technology

9. Lecturer feedback • led to more engagement with technology in general • made lectures more dynamic • have led to a change in teaching approaches • “Students are now more involved in contributing” • “In terms of how the use has invigorated my teaching. […] For the first time in years I have felt excited about my teaching and that is reflected in how I interact with students. So then they get excited” Teaching Mathematics with Technology

10. “Pen screens” • This technology may already be available in a lecture theatre near you! • Would you recognize a pen screen? Teaching Mathematics with Technology

11. Lecture recording • “You can’t do this. Students won’t come to class any more” • Well, actually … • Study at USQ with on-campus students • Students kept turning up! • They quoted “interaction” and “being able to ask questions” as reasons Loch (2010) and Loch (2011) Teaching Mathematics with Technology

12. Short focused recordings • “There’s an app for this” ScreenChomp Mathscasts.org Teaching Mathematics with Technology

13. Student feedback • “Yes, I watched them all. They are fantastic, much better than a typed response.” • “Every time I get stuck on something, I’ll go back to a MathsCast, and it makes it a bit easier to go through questions out of a book” . • This student also said that not only does he find maths easier to grasp, but he has even started enjoying it. Teaching Mathematics with Technology

14. Changing the way we teach • What if your students watched a short screencast demonstrating how to explain a solution in an assignment? BEFORE they attempt the assignment. Teaching Mathematics with Technology

15. The flipped classroom • You record the important points of your lecture and expect your students to watch BEFORE they come to class http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/ Teaching Mathematics with Technology

16. The flipped classroom • Class time is used to discuss misconceptions, to get students to work through problems, to provide immediate feedback http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/ Teaching Mathematics with Technology

17. Immediate feedback (step 1) • Audience response systems (“clickers”) • Revision • Explaining where students often go wrong • Checking understanding Teaching Mathematics with Technology

18. Some student feedback Teaching Mathematics with Technology

19. Some student feedback • “Changes the form of the lecture” • “Can move on if everyone understands a question” • “Can cover in more detail if misunderstanding” • “Fun” • “Helps gauge class/own understanding” Teaching Mathematics with Technology

20. Challenging misconceptions Teaching Mathematics with Technology

21. Encouraging deeper understanding Teaching Mathematics with Technology

22. A warning… • The results from clickers questions can be demoralising! Teaching Mathematics with Technology

23. The problem with clickers A) B) C) D) Teaching Mathematics with Technology

24. Immediate feedback (step 2) • Advanced Concepts Teaching Space(UQ, with Diane Donovan (submitted)) • 100 pen-enabled screens, SynchronEyes software • Test revision sessions Teaching Mathematics with Technology

25. Selecting student work Teaching Mathematics with Technology

26. The sessions • Students were given (incorrect) solutions to potential test questions, and asked to mark. • Students were asked to solve potential test questions • Student work was then selected, displayed and discussed • Interaction took time Teaching Mathematics with Technology

27. Student feedback Themes from comments: • ‘engaging’ • ‘involved’ • ‘interactive’ • ‘fun’ • ‘useful’ • ‘cool’ Teaching Mathematics with Technology

28. 2011: Did you learn more in the ACTS lab session than you would have in a normal classroom? (n=87) Teaching Mathematics with Technology

29. Lecturer feedback “Was able to emphasise the principles of problem solving strategies, analytical thinking and logical presentation, and to implement these strategies straight away.” Teaching Mathematics with Technology

30. Is there a cheaper version? • Tablet PCs for students • Graphics tablets connected to lab computers • MeTL software (Monash Uni) Teaching Mathematics with Technology

31. Exam preparation sessions • Offered by the Maths and Stats Help Centre Teaching Mathematics with Technology

32. Roaming about In a large lecture theatre, • what if you were no longer physically separated from your students? • what if you gave the stylus to your students? Teaching Mathematics with Technology

33. Going wireless • Various solutions http://www.monash.edu.au Teaching Mathematics with Technology

34. Example Solve: Teaching Mathematics with Technology

35. More research needed! • Best practice in the use of technologies for mathematics learning and teaching • How to involve other lecturers in the effective use of educational technologies? • What PD is needed? • How to convince ITS divisions? Teaching Mathematics with Technology