A case study in using electronic presentation media to teach mathematics

Abstract

Over the past decade the United Kingdom (UK) Government has invested substantially in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in all sectors of education. Investment has been in infrastructure, staff development and educational software. At the same time there has been concern about the achievements in mathematics of school leavers and about the decline in numbers of students choosing to study mathematics in Higher Education. Through its Widening Participation initiative, (UK) Government intends to increase the number of students entering Higher Education. An account is given of a project to make appropriate use of computer-based projection materials in the delivery of a two-week mathematics summer school for students about to enter a foundation year which would prepare them for to entry to degree courses in mathematics and technology. This study asserts that computer-based presentation material can be used to implement differentiated pedagogy which can assist in making mathematics accessible to a group of adults with a wide range of prior attainment in mathematics.