Saturday, October 17, 2015

Assessment of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills in Market Research Industry

Context
The collaborative problem solving teaching and assessment activity described here is in a business environment - specifically for the services industry of Market Research. The activity is designed for someone who is responsible for management or implementation of a typical quantitative market research project where data is collected from large samples using survey forms. For the purposes of this assignment, let us focus on three key roles that exist in a market research organization:

  •       Client servicing: Responsible for securing new business and managing the client deliverables (Submitting proposals, designing survey forms, data interpretation, report and overall project management)
  •       Operations: Responsible for data collection (Recruit survey participants directly or through vendors who collect data on their behalf, script questionnaire, provide incentives, check data quality)
  •       Data Processing & Analytics: Collate all the data collected, clean up data if required, generate tables, statistical models used for interpretation and provide it to the client servicing team

Each of these roles is unique, requires specialized skills and successful implementation requires full participation and extensive collaboration by all team members. Though the process is same for most projects, the research objectives vary in terms or scope and complexity and the outcome is uncertain.


Assumptions
As we are dealing with graduates or post graduate students (though in the early stages of their careers), the participants are assumed to have the requisite ICT skills in order to be able to use the online collaboration platform.

Objectives
The objective of this activity is to train the employees on market research project management and assess them on the quality of the research report delivered and their collaborative problem solving skills. As all members working on a project bring completely different skills and have distinct roles to play, collaboration is fraught with risks of inadequate understanding of responsibilities of all players and communication gaps. Nevertheless, the extent of collaboration does impact the quality of the final research report.

Activity
The teaching and assessment is designed as a role play activity within an office environment, and is carried out over a period of three to four weeks using an online collaboration platform that also allows for project management.
The training is designed for employees in their first year of employment. This is designed as a group project with each group comprising three members, representing the three roles described earlier. The training can be conducted by a senior staff member who can double up as a “Client”. A trainer should be able to work with 4-6 groups in a training session ~ 12-18 employees in total.
The rationale for the extended period of training is to simulate real work scenarios: giving time for client interaction, source market information, design a questionnaire, data processing, report writing and use the online collaboration platform to implement the project.
An example of a platform that can be customized for such activity would be http://aikonlabs.com/how-it-works/.
The customized online collaboration platform records all the activities of trainees as they are tasked with execution of a market research project. All activities of the market research project will need to be carried out barring actual data collection by the operations team. The need for data collection can be eliminated by selecting for training the specifications of an old project for which data has already been collected. Here, the trainer will provide the raw data collected to the analytics team to generate tables and statistical models. The trainer can adjust the level of complexity of the project to a level that is anticipated for employees in junior to middle management. Teams can be assigned mentors in case they need guidance on the technical aspects of the project.
The trainer must provide challenges that necessitate interaction between the three roles in each group and are representative of those encountered by the employees on an ongoing basis as a part of their work. Some examples of such challenges could be:
·         - Summary analysis half way through the project
·         - Additional analysis at end of the project
·        -  Reduction in the cost of data collection
·         - Modification in sample design
·         - Poor response to survey
·         - Errors in data collected

Assessment
A CPS assessment rubric has been designed for this activity that takes into account both – Social and Cognitive dimensions and relies on peer and self-assessment. Some components of the rubric are specific to certain roles in the organization (and hence on the assignment) and this has been indicated.

The online collaboration platform allows trainees to rate the contributions made by themselves and their colleagues in terms of usefulness by clicking on vote buttons. The trainer (representing a client) also rates all the trainees. The voting scale proposed is as follows:

This contribution is
+2: …vital to the successful implementation of the project
+1: … valuable and improves the quality of delivery of the project
  0: … somewhat useful
-1: … not useful
-2: …misleading or of no relevance to the project

The self-assessed score for each contribution can be multiplied by 3 and correlated with the total peer assessed score (as there are 3 assessors for each trainee, including the trainer). The total peer assessed score and self-assessed score and the correlation for each trainee is made visible real time, incorporating an element of gamification but detailed votes for each contribution are made visible only at the end of the assignment. A high positive score and high correlation between self and peer assessment indicates that the performance of the trainee and expectations of other team members is aligned. The rationale for not sharing detailed votes is to avoid conflict/ finger pointing in the midst of training while the overall score will give encouragement and an opportunity to reflect in an event the scores are not meeting expectations.
The trainer (or 2-3 mentors) will review the chat history and assess the performance of the trainees on a rubric designed for measuring social and cognitive dimensions.
Thus, the assessment is quick, uses multiple sources (self, peer and expert view) without requiring too much time and can be benchmarked for the entire batch of trainees and compared with historical data. The assessment is anticipated to promote learning by making transparent the thought and action of the trainees via the online platform. Areas of strength as well as those for improvement can be identified for each employee at the end of the training.

As each group submits the final research report to the “client”, the report is evaluated on the following parameters by the trainer (and 2-3 mentors):
·         Meeting research objectives by answering client’s business issues
·         Timeliness of delivery
·         Quality of presentation
·         Quality of report submitted

In providing feedback, the trainer should juxtapose the quality of the report with the CPS assessments for the individual members of the group to pinpoint presence/ absence of collaborative actions that contributed to the success (or failure) in delivering a project report that meets client expectations.


Given the workplace setting, we are not looking for a one-off performance but a habit forming change in the workplace. The assessment brings to fore aspects of performance that will impact delivery of real business projects. Providing feedback for improvement of specific collaboration skills makes the assessment authentic. Once the organization has identified the level of learner on CPS skills, the subsequent learning needs can be identified. The training can be repeated annually at entry and mid-level executives.


Bibliography
Griffin, P. (2012). Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills. Springer Science + Business Media.
 Brief intro to 21st century skills

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Connecting Teachers

The need for a teacher network

There are over 5.8 million teachers across 1.25 million schools across India, teaching over 185 million students in K-8 levels (2009 & 2009c). 87% of the schools are located in rural India. (Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India, 2010).


Teacher shortages are very significant. There are 4 teachers per school in rural India (2009a) and 7.9 teachers per school in Urban India (2009b). A relatively recent phenomenon is the employment of para-teachers. Para-teachers are not regular teachers- they are employed on a contractual basis, earning a salary less than the regular primary teachers. There are over 538,000 para-teachers in India- 9.4% of the total number of teachers (Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India, 2010). The approach seems to be to improve the pupil-teacher ratio at a lower cost.


Only about 40% of the teachers claim to have received in-service training (2009a). Low income and inadequate training and resources have a detrimental impact on teacher motivation levels. Teacher absenteeism is a major concern in India, ranging from 15-42% for various states and averaging at 25% (2006).


In India, access to computers and penetration of internet on computers is still limited. At the all India level, 14% of the all schools have a computer. The percentage of primary schools with computers is 6% compared to 14% in independent upper primary schools/ sections (2009). Schools under private management are more likely to have computers compared to Government schools (2007). The incidence of use of computers by (or for training) teachers, is likely to be even lower. Sometimes, even access to basic needs such as electricity can be an issue with power outages for over 6 hours every day in rural areas.


Further, dispersed geographic locations, different languages and limited financial resources pose serious barriers. Even if the financial constraints were removed and some training was provided for the use of computers, language barriers would still limit the productivity.


Given all the constraints outlined, how can school teachers, especially in rural India gain access to information, training and resources that their peers in the developed world have, where access to computers, to the internet and portable technologies is easier and more affordable? How can these teachers connect with other teachers, with people or organizations holding interests in the education sector such as training providers, educational content creators, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and educational policy makers?


Mobile phones as an alternative to computers


There are over 45 million internet users in India (2008). Considering that India has a population of 1.1 billion, this number is rather small. On the other hand, the number of mobile subscribers is already over 400 million (2009d). Clearly, mobile as a device offers huge potential to connect people. Going forward, the growth in mobile penetration is expected to come from subscriptions in rural India.


A computer still costs at least USD 400, not including the cost of internet access (if it exists), which would be well over USD 100 per annum. On the other hand, a mobile device (with capability to connect to the internet) costs under USD 50 and the average monthly billing is under USD 4. As mobile phones with better features become affordable and given that usage charges are relatively lower compared to the developed nations, there is a case to set up a mobile based network to enable teachers by providing them access to relevant information and resources. It should be possible to even customize the information in terms of location, language and level of teaching.

What should be the scope of the Teacher Network?

· Sharing useful resources, best teaching practices

· Announce information relevant to teachers

· Support for in-service distance learning

· Platform to express views and post questions

· Recognition of special efforts/ Awards

· Enable making connections with teachers within a district and across India

How can connecting teachers help?

· Positive impact on teacher motivation

· Better access to and utilization of resources

· Bridging the gap between urban and rural India in terms of access- effectively and efficiently

· Significant improvements in their current practice

· Opportunity for continued contact rather than one time/ irregular training schedules

These would in turn have a positive impact on the quality of education the students receive and their lives.

References

Global campaign for education – more teachers needed. (2006, 24 April). Retrieved 31 Jan, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/india/resources_1551.htm

India adds 11.08 mln GSM subscribers in November. (2009d). Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=709135

India progressing towards universal elementary education: Where goes missing 40% efficiency? [Electronic (2007). Version]. Digital Learning. Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://schoolreportcards.in/Media/m52.html

Internet & Mobile Association of India. (2008). 45 Million Internet users in India. Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://www.imrbint.com/media/45..pdf : Internet & Mobile Association of India

Muralidharan, K., & Sundararaman, V. (2009). Teacher performance pay: Experimental evidence from India. National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://econ.ucsd.edu/~kamurali/teacher%20performance%20pay.pdf

National University of Educational Planning and Administration & Department of School Education and Literacy (2009). Elementary Education in India: (State Report Cards 2007-08). Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://www.dise.in/Downloads/Publication 2007-08/src0708/SRC 2007-08.pdf

National University of Educational Planning and Administration & Department of School Education and Literacy (2009a). Elementary Education in Rural/ Urban India 2007-08: Rural India (Analytical Tables): Teacher-Related Indicators Part I. Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://www.dise.in/Downloads/Publication%202007-08/Rural0708/teacher_part1.pdf

National University of Educational Planning and Administration & Department of School Education and Literacy (2009b). Elementary Education in Rural/ Urban India 2007-08: Urban India (Analytical Tables): Teacher-Related Indicators Part I. Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://www.dise.in/Downloads/Publication%202007-08/Urban0708/Teacher-Part%20I.pdf

National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) & Department of School Education and Literacy. (2009c). Flash Statistics: Elementary Education in India: Progress towards UEE. Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://www.dise.in/DISE-Flash-Statistics-2008-09-nuepa.pdf

Press Information Bureau, Government of India (2010). Enrolment at primary and upper primary level increases to 134.38 million in 2008-09 from 101.16 million in 2002-03. Retrieved 31 Jan 2010 from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=57231

Somekh, B., & Lewin, C. (Eds.). (2007). Research Methods in the Social Sciences.

Traxler, J. (2007). Using mobile phones: Training teachers with text messages, Footsteps (71). Retrieved 31 Jan, 2010, from http://tilz.tearfund.org/Publications/Footsteps+71-80/Footsteps+71/Using+mobile+phones+-+Training+teachers+with+text+messages.htm

Weller, M. (2007). The distance from isolation: Why communities are the logical conclusion in e-learning. Computers & Education, 49(2), 148-159.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Using concepts from advertising in education

What is “learning”? According to the dictionary, it is to gain knowledge or skill by study, by experience or being taught, to become aware of through information or observation, to memorize or to realize.

Advertising, irrespective of the medium, aims to tell us something. In most cases it seeks to sell us something or make us part with our money. And it does that in thirty seconds on TV! I am sure there are times when you see the commercial just once and you feel like buying the product or service. You are convinced that you need it and the next time you visit the grocery store, you ask for it by name or look for it on the shelves.

How many times we see a commercial does impact our ability to remember it. However, there are instances when we remember the commercial even after seeing it just once and sometimes we remember advertising that we saw years ago. On the other hand, we have difficulty in remembering at an exam, what we studied the night before! Perhaps there is something that can be borrowed from advertising here.

In preparing a TV commercial, an advertising brief is translated into a 30 sec commercial. A typical brief covers the following aspects:
- An understanding of the consumer, the purchaser, the influencer in terms of demographics and psychographics
- Details about the product or service to be promoted, it’s price, purchase occasion
- The brand image and the direction it is to take
- The call to action- purchase a product/ call a number/ donate money/ join an organization
- A listing of the competitive set which can range within or across category
- The output required and the media to be used

How does all this get translated into a 60 or a 30 sec TV commercial? The creative teams are adept at doing this. They take special care of the executional aspects-the setting, the music, the actors, the dialogue, the colors used. All these work in a synergistic manner to ensure that you remember the brand name and the message about the brand.

How does the advertising work? Advertising messages tell a story in less than 60 seconds, sometimes even 30 seconds. Teaching can be as simple or exciting as telling a story. Teaching science can be a story too- for instance- what scientists originally thought about a phenomenon, how they experimented, how more modern research confirmed or disproved theories on a subject and what are the applications and relevance for today, and where do they expect the subject in study to find applications in future, which organizations or institutions are now working on that particular subject. By providing a more complete picture, learning the subject does not become memorizing a set of answers but rather understanding the subject and it’s relevance to their study and in life.



For an advertising campaign to be effective, the advertising message has to be seen by the potential customer a few times. Traditional theory puts this at a minimum of three exposures. The more recent theory of “recency” relies on the idea that a message will be retained at a time when it’s most relevant- a detergent ad is most remembered when the box in your house is about to get over, you are most likely to notice advertising for cars when you are about to buy one. In such situations, the impact of the most recent exposure will be the highest. Schools, libraries, websites, museums and science centers must use this idea and tailor the promotions and activities in accordance with the school syllabus.

Advertising messages that are liked, that are enjoyable are remembered most easily. That means if we are able to make learning experiences more enjoyable, more relevant, they will be more memorable. The converse is true as well-advertising that does not offer a pleasant experience will have a negative impact on the brand. Similarly, learning that is not pleasant or that is being forced on a student who is not interested is bound to go waste. (Was I happy when I could opt out of Physics at senior college!)

Just as an advertiser keeps you interested in his brand over a number of years, the teacher/ school/ website has to find ways to sustain a student’s interest in a subject over a number of years. To maintain continuity and sustain interest, we should treat knowledge as building blocks, adding one block at a time, moving from the know to unknown. Identify concepts which are key, finding applications in the future years of education or work and pay special attention to them, reminding about them at periodic intervals.

Call to action - The advertiser expects the commercial to have some impact on you- in most situations; the expectation is that you rush out to buy the product. Similarly, what should the student do after learning something on a particular subject? Forget it just after the exams are over? If the education offers a call to action, say a real life project, where the concepts learnt in the classroom are applied, not only will the retention be better but its relevance will also be appreciated. Special attention should be given to those students who are ahead of the curve and want to know more about that subject. The teacher must be able to advise where the student can go to learn more on a particular topic.

Media multiplier effect- How can we use that in education?
What is media multiplier effect? Media multiplier works in two ways-


- When more than one medium is used in advertising communication, it helps increase reach as there will be people who will be reached by only one of those media
- When the same audience is reached by the same message in different media, it has an incremental effect- those people will have a stronger retention of the brand name and the message and would be more likely to have a positive inclination in purchasing the product or service


How can we use this effect in teaching?

Integrate classroom learning with what students learn from various educational websites, TV channels, Educational DVDs and VCDs, Museums, Science centers, Libraries.
With repeated “exposures” across media, the retention of the message will be stronger. Some media agencies treat the different media as “touchpoints” and ensure that the potential consumer is reached via every possible touchpoint.

As all students will not have opportunities to be exposed to all these media, the net reach among this audience will be higher.

The key thing is timing. These exposures across media should be about the same time for the multimedia effect to work.

We should explore borrowing such concepts into school education and measure the impact as the advertising industry measures the return on advertising investment.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Using Web-based Resources in Teaching Mathematics

Introduction

The scope of this study is to assess the impact of using web-based resources in the teaching of mathematics on students’ attitude and learning.

Three factors define the scope of this study:

  • To determine if visual representation of mathematical concepts and interactivity enhances learning
  • Impact on student attitude and motivation
  • To determine feasibility of using of tools that are freely available from the perspective that limited financial resources should not constrain teachers from use of computers in classroom teaching.

8 students of Grade VIII and 7 students of Grade VII at an international school in Bangalore, India were a part of this study. Given the qualitative nature of the study, the small sample size enabled interaction and discussion at depth.


Student profile

Most students had access to computers at home and used it mostly to play games, watch videos and search for information on school projects. Only a few of them used computers for accessing educational websites/ CDs or doing homework assignments. Their past academic performance varied significantly, indicating that the student representation was not homogeneous.


Current practice

The school chosen for the study is a new school, only in its second year of operation. The school has a computer lab with internet access but it was not yet used in teaching any subject. It served more as a resource center for staff and also for students to create their project reports.

The regular mathematics teachers are aware that web-based resources can be used in teaching. However, practical difficulties in structuring lessons and lack of awareness of specific resources that suit the curriculum limit them from actually incorporating web and other computer based resources in teaching of mathematics.

Strategy

The first step was to identify freely available web-based resources relevant to the school curriculum and due to be covered in the first semester of the current academic year (2009-10).

The next step was to teach the students the selected topics over a 3-day period. The motivation levels and attitudes were assessed through observation, feedback collected in writing at the end of every class and finally a group discussion. Learning was assessed through a short pen and paper test covering the topics that were taught using the web-based resources.

Identifying the web-based resources

The web-based resources were identified through internet search and from educational resources such as MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching). The topics covered (sources listed in Appendix 1):

Grade VIII

· Introduction to quadrilaterals

· Nets

· Linear equations in 1 and 2 variables

· Time- distance & velocity

Grade VII

· Fractions

· Linear equations in one variable

The resources were identified keeping in mind the following criteria:

· Provide an opportunity for interactivity

· Show dynamically the impact of manipulation

· Allow students to investigate without the fear of going wrong

· Did not require any training for use

Research process

The sessions were conducted in the computer laboratory and it was possible to alternate between using a whiteboard and the computers.

A text file containing links to the web-based resources was copied onto each computer. Students were first introduced to the topic using a regular whiteboard and then a brief instruction was given to the students on how to use the web resource.

Given the limited number of computers available, most students had to share them, with one computer to two students.

As this was the first time the computers were being used, it was decided that the scores of the test would not count towards their annual assessment. Feedback was collected in writing at the end of each day. The group discussions were conducted on the third day, after the test.

Assessment of Learning

Grade VIII

Time-distance:

The relationship between time, distance and speed was understood by most students. However, only the academically stronger students managed to produce a correct graph using the information provided in the question.

Linear equations:

While students understood that a linear equation in two variables represents a straight line, identifying points on the line by x and y coordinates and the concept of slope seemed to be difficult. This was their first exposure to the coordinate geometry and the students clearly needed more preparation before introduction of (and more time with) the web based resources.

Quadrilaterals:

During the computer lab session, the students were able to independently identify relationships between the sides and the angles and summarize the properties of various quadrilaterals by manipulating the figures in the web-based resource. However, in the test, they struggled when they were expected to determine the measure of an angle or length of a side in a trapezium.

Nets:

In a quiz conducted just after this session, most students were able to match a polyhedron and the corresponding net. However, in the final test conducted on the third day, the students did not fare as well as anticipated. Students could identify a pyramid but encountered difficulty in identifying a tetrahedron. More students had success with a simple application of Euler’s formula.

Grade VII

Fractions:

As there was some prior exposure to this topic, it helped students in understanding the concepts. Most students were able to answer the related questions in the test.

Linear equations in one variable:

Students did not appreciate the analogy of a balance. While this was not investigated at depth, it is attributed to a great extent to students carrying out mathematical operations mechanically, without trying to understand the reason why a certain term was added to or subtracted from both sides of an equation. Observations, Feedback & Discussion

Access to a computer is fairly easy with most students already having a computer at home. All students were quite familiar with the use of the computer and relevant software.

Student feedback

Grade VIII

“The websites were fun and creative as we ourselves could solve our doubts. Before I found all these shapes to be complicated and boring, but these seem to be very easy now “Student A

“I liked the opening and closing up of the nets and playing with the figures” Student B

“We could really see the object and play around with it…This has been one of the most interesting class I had even though I do not like maths” Student C

“It was good but quite confusing” Student B

“I haven’t understood everything yet but I liked the software a lot” Student C

Grade VII

“We learnt something completely unknown to us and I found it very interesting” Student D

“At first I didn’t understand how to do the algebra but when I understood about it I felt very happy” Student E

“The class was interesting but I did not understand algebraic expression” Student F

The motivation levels were high and there was substantial participation in the class across both the grades. All the students enjoyed learning mathematics using the web based resources. They enjoyed self discovery by manipulation of sliders, interaction with figures representing fractions, quadrilaterals, nets and straight lines. The feedback at the end of everyday indicated that the students clearly enjoyed the sessions and found them interesting. They wanted their future lessons to incorporate the web-based resources. Students were eager to note down the links so that they could practice at home as well.

About half the students felt they now liked learning mathematics more. Some students were keen that the software provides them with feedback when a particular input/ action is wrong. These observations are consistent with those reported elsewhere (Hannafin, Burruss and Little, 2001).

Students reported difficulty in understanding linear equations, evident from the quotes above.

Student pairing

Student pairing does seem to have a powerful role to play. In pairs with students of differing abilities, the weaker ones also demonstrated increased interest and participation. In pairs, where both the students were academically strong, they explored the resources provided to a greater extent and asked more questions. Weak students were not paired together.

The students expressed a need to record on paper what was learnt using the computer as the on- screen manipulations are not accessible in preparation for a written test.

To summarize the differences observed between students, they have been grouped into: “Strong” and “Challenged” based on their past performance in examinations and meaningful classroom participation. These are not meant to reflect their intelligence or any other such measure. “Strong” implies better academic performance and constructive participation in the classroom while “Challenged” implies relatively weaker academic performance.

Strong students

Challenged students

High motivation levels through all sessions and desire to use computers more in their learning

High motivation levels initially but lost interest if unable to cope, leading to seeking distractions- clicking on irrelevant icons, changing screen magnifications, going to other sites etc.

High interest levels in mathematics continue to hold

Significantly increased interest expressed in learning mathematics

Seek independence requesting that the computer program prompt them if a suggested solution is wrong

Expressed need for guidance, simpler visual representation and more preparation in terms of raising the level of prior knowledge.

Prior mathematical techniques used sometimes posed a challenge. e.g. mechanically transferring terms from left hand side to the right hand side by changing the sign in a balanced equation as against adding/ subtracting the same term from both sides

In simplifying a balanced equation (to find the value of a variable), identifying which term needs to be added/ subtracted was not easy

Had used the computer as a tool for learning and doing school projects.

Comfortable in using a computer but had never used it as a tool for learning

Concerns such as those expressed by prospective teachers in Hazzan (2002/2003) become evident. Representing mathematical ideas on a computer did help visualization and stimulate thinking but inadequate preparation on manipulation of algebraic expressions posed difficulties.

Conclusion

  • Visual representation and interactivity does enhance student learning and motivation.
  • It is possible that the stronger students may gain more in the short term. Given the high motivation levels, over a longer period of time, it is anticipated to be beneficial to all the students. To ensure that this happens, student pairing needs to have a strategic approach. The suggested approach is to group together students of different abilities and shuffle partners periodically, monitoring the groups to ensure that they remain cohesive.
  • It is possible to use freely available/ inexpensive web based resources and applications for the teaching of mathematics. However, a limitation of using these freely available resources is that it is not be possible to have a consistent pedagogical approach and on- screen environment, given that sources would be different.
  • An instructivist learning environment as advocated by Hannafin et al. (2001) would work well: Accommodating learners’ needs and prior knowledge but limiting the amount of content available. Wherever possible, the on-screen information should be limited to what is needed for a student at a particular level- if fractions to be taught are limited to denominator less than 20, the teacher must have the option to restrict the application accordingly.
  • Worksheets need to be devised based on the activities done using the computer so that students have a record for revision and can also share it with parents at home.
  • The activities need to well planned and integrated into the classroom routines. Introduction to the topic, preparing students for what to expect is important before the computers are switched on. Students must be asked to switch the monitors off when their attention needs to be diverted to the whiteboard.
  • Given that the students in Grade VIII and VII consistently expressed their discomfort with Algebra, it would be advisable to adopt an embodied approach with visualization as recommended by Tall (2009), to ensure that students are comfortable with Algebra at higher levels.

Appendix: List of resources used

Grade VII

Lesson 1: Linear equations

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_324_g_3_t_2.html?open=instructions&hidepanel=true&from=vlibrary.html

Lesson 2: Fractions

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_102_g_1_t_1.html?from=topic_t_1.html

http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=45

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_159_g_2_t_1.html

Grade VIII

Lesson 1a: Quadrilaterals

http: / /mste.illinois.edu/m2t2/geometry/quads.html

Lesson 1b: Nets

http://www.mathsnet.net/geometry/solid/nets.html

Lesson 2: Linear Equations

http://www.waldomaths.com/Linear2NLW.jsp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/algebra/graphsact.shtml

Lesson 3: TIME DISTANCE

http://mathdemos.gcsu.edu/mathdemos/jogger/jogger.html

Appendix 2: References

Hannafin, R. D., Burruss, J. D., & Little, C. (2001). Learning With Dynamic Geometry Programs: Perspectives of Teachers and Learners. The Journal of Educational Research, 94(3), 132-144.

Hazzan, O. (2002/2003). Prospective High School Mathematics Teachers’ Attitudes toward Integrating Computers in Their Future Teaching. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(2), 213-225.

Tall, D. (2003). Using Technology to Support an Embodied Approach to Learning Concepts in Mathematics. In L. M. Carvalho & L. C. Guimarães (Eds.), História e Tecnologia no Ensino da Matemática (Vol. 1, pp. 1-28). Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Retrieved 31-Aug-2009 from http://www.warwick.ac.uk/staff/David.Tall/pdfs/dot2003a-rio-plenary.pdf