2009 Faculty IRGS success
| Project Title:Using interactive whiteboard (IWBS) to enhance the mathematics teaching of a selective number of Tasmanian Teachers |
| Tracey Muir |
| The project will use research to develop and implement the effective use of Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) in a selected number of mathematics classrooms. IWBs are an increasingly available, yet currently underutilised teaching resource in Australian schools. They consist of a large physical display panel on which computer images can be projected, controlled and manipulated through touching or writing on the surface of the panel. The project will develop principles for effective mathematics teaching that lend themselves to enhancement through the use of IWBs, with the aim of bringing about measurable changes in mathematics teaching and student learning. |
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Project Title: An investigation of teachers beliefs about appropriate classroom pedagogy and curriculum design for young adolscents |
| Tony Dowden |
|
The project will investigate
the beliefs of Tasmanian teachers, in schools with dedicated ‘middle
school’ structures, concerning (a) classroom pedagogy, and (b)
curriculum design for young adolescents (10-15 years old). The data will
provide a ‘snapshot’ of a select group of teachers’ understandings
about early adolescent needs, thus establishing an empirical basis for
wider investigation concerning the efficacy of middle grades schooling
throughout |
| Project Title: Transforming curriculum: a new approach to calculus using laptops in primary schools |
| The Rudd government's digital education revolution is putting computers into the hands of all pupils in Year 9 and above. This dramatic change to schooling practices has been echoed in primary schools with Victoria putting 10,000 small laptops into Year 5 & 6 classrooms. Many people expect these developments to transform schooling, much as information technology has transformed business, commerce and many other areas of society. We aim to demonstrate such transformation and also promote a love of learning mathematics to encourage enrolment in related tertiary subjects such as Science and Engineering. Our new approach to integral calculus will use commercial software on laptops already assigned to every Year 6 pupil in five classrooms located in several states and territories of Australia in the context of practical problems relevant to their lives. A successful outcome will be pupil mastery of basic calculus at undergraduate level, justifying the transformative potential of information and communication technology in schools. |
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