Like many people, I left school without too much confidence in, or liking for, mathematics. It doesn't take a psychoanalyst to work out why. When, for example, one of my fellow pupils asked what the point of trigonometry was, the answer he received consisted of:
"Are you trying to be impudent, boy?",
followed by the imposition of a detention.
Another teacher had a novel approach to teaching: if you didn't understand the stuff in the lesson, you had a 90 minute detention in which to practise with test papers until you did -- all in utter silence while the 'teacher' (I use the term loosely) did his marking.
As you can see, counsellor, all this left a deep and lasting impression, and not a positive one either. So you will understand when I tell you that when Val Brooks, of the Stockton City Learning Centre, invited me to spend a day observing youngsters doing maths, I did not immediately run to my calendar to cancel all my engagements for the day. However, such was Val's powers of persuasion and descriptions of the activity in question that I ended up rearranging my diary in order to be able to attend.
I'm glad I did.
Cars Maths in Motion (CMIM) is a valiant attempt to make maths not merely relevant, but fun. The aim of the software is to enable you to program a car in such a way that it can win a simulated Grand Prix race. That involves using mathematics to work out the length of the track, and the angles of the bends, and therefore the amount of fuel needed, which depends on both speed and distance.
In fact, if only it were that simple! You can also adjust engine tuning, aerodynamic downforce, gear ratios and suspension. You can even decide whether you're going to be a careful driver or a bit of a risk-taker. You also have to take account of the weather.
Three things struck me at the event, which was the grand competition to find the best team in each of three age groups, primary, 11-14 and 15-16.
Firstly, the youngsters were using rulers, bits of string and protractors. In this hi-tech day and age, you don't quite expect to see those sorts of tools being used at all, let alone well.
Secondly, the sheer enthusiasm was palpable, and I hope that comes across in the video, Cars Maths in Motion 2009, which I have embedded below. (If you'd like some yardsticks to guide you whilst watching the video, see how many of the Personal Learning and Thinking Skills you might be able to "tick off" through this activity: independent enquirers; creative thinkers; reflective learners; team workers; self-managers; effective participators. )
Thirdly, whilst I was looking at the program during the event I noticed that it did not make use of the kind of graphics that people have come to expect from games (although I have since been informed by Brian Richardson that it does include some high-quality photography, and that the program used in the Final did not have graphics in it). Yet the only people who bemoaned the apparent lack of sophisticated graphics were a couple of young teachers. The kids had no problem with it at all, and far from dampening their enthusiasm the game, particularly the race at the end, was even described by one of them as "exciting". Perhaps there is an argument for keeping the graphics simple so that they don't get in the way?
So what does all this have to do with information and communications technology? The computer is used to very good effect. As you enter your measurements into the software, and change the parameters mentioned earlier, you can start to see the effects of your decisions straight away. In other words, the computer is used as a way of giving you instant feedback on your choices. This is cemented by the facility to have a practice race which will inform you, in a somewhat dramatic way, whether or not you're calculations have been accurate. If you think about it, that is actually a very good use of educational technology, because one of the things that ICT enables you to do is to experiment until you obtain the outcome you're looking for, without paying a terrible price in the process!
I attended the event in order to be able to obtain material for the special games issue of Computers in Classrooms, which will be published early next term. I am pleased to say that I was successful: I was able to interview a range of people, including Izzy, the young lady who has designed the track for the past three years. Some of these interviews will be available to view (assuming various permissions are obtained, of course), as well as a review of the software itself, by subscribers to Computers in Classrooms. So, why not sign up now (it's free)?
If you would like to contribute an article or review concerning the use of computerized games in education -- or, indeed, any other topic related to ICT in education -- get in touch. In the meantime, if you would like to find out more about Cars Maths in Motion, here are a few links to explore.
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