The Potential of ICT in Mathematics

Teaching and Learning, 12 March 2008

Workshop Summaries

Please select one workshop from the morning and one workshop from the afternoon to attend. Alternatively you can remain in the main hall during one of the workshop sessions to explore the posters, exhibitions and software demonstrations.

The workshops offered sit within the three key strands of the conference:

What research is there about the effective use of ICT in mathematics learning?
How can we prepare teachers for the changing educational, social and technological environments in both mathematics and ICT?
What current professional development activities are there and how do these inform us about future planning?

Morning Session: 11am – 12pm

Strand A: What research is there about the effective use of ICT in mathematics learning?

Workshop A1: MiGen Project: Intelligent Support for Mathematical Generalisation

Dr Eirini Geraniou, London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education
Prof. Celia Hoyles, Professor of Mathematics Education, London Knowledge Lab
Prof. Richard Noss, Professor of Mathematics Education, Co-director, London Knowledge Lab
Dr Sergio Gutierez, Research Officer, London Knowledge Lab
Manolis Mavrikis, Research Officer, London Knowledge Lab
Darren Pearce, Research Officer, London Knowledge Lab
Peter Tang, Maths Teacher, The BridgeAcademy

The MiGen project is tackling a very thorny problem that confronts all teachers of mathematics: What is algebra for? How is it useful for expressing generalisations? And more fundamental still: What does it mean to generalise in mathematics?

We are building a system, the eXpresser, through which learners (aged 11-14 years old) can explore different ways of expressing their own mathematical generalisations. The eXpresser, as it develops, will incorporate functionalities through which learners will be able to learn from each other remotely, and for their teachers to receive ‘intelligent’ information so they can very easily provide the necessary support for learning. Our research team of social, educational and computer scientists, together with teachers and teacher educators are co-designing the eXpresser and iteratively testing it out with students.

In this workshop we will present our prototype system, initial activities, learning objectives and some very preliminary feedback from the classroom. There will also be time for participants to have a brief hands-on experience and for a discussion of how such a pedagogical and technical environment could help students express and use mathematical generalisations.

We would like to acknowledge the funding of TLRP, ESRC/EPSRC, award no. RES-139-25-0381.

Workshop A2:Working with 3D Geometry Software in KS3 & 4

Ron Taylor, HIAS
Clare Dolan, AST, PortchesterSchool
Jo Lees, Senior Teacher & LMT, The RomseySchool
Peter Ransom, LMT, The MountbattenSchool
Deb Sutch, Head of Mathematics & LMT, The WestgateSchool

We will present some of the 3D work developed by 4 Leading Mathematics Teachers from Hampshire who are working in collaboration with Professor Adrian Oldknow and Ron Taylor (HIAS). We will focus on the work done in Key Stage 3 & 4 across a wide attainment range of learners with Cabri 3D and Yenka software.

Delegates will be invited to

* explore one or two activities with the software

* participate in discussion about classroom practicalities

* experience the professional development involved

* be creative about the new national curriculum

Workshop A3:Mediating Web-based Rich Tasks

Jennifer Piggott, Project Director, NRICH Mathematics Project
Liz Woodham, Primary Coordinator, NRICH Mathematics Project
Charlie Gilderdale, Team Member, NRICH Mathematics Project

The NRICH Project is aware that in order for teachers to engage in depth, and with a clear sense of purpose, with its resources they will need to invest time and effort.We have identified a number of possible online mediation features for helping teachers appreciate the potential of the resources and the workshop will focus on looking at their possible impact.

Participants will engage with some “rich tasks” and explore the potential value of the mediation features that have been added.We will share our progress so far and hope the workshop outcomes will inform our future practice.

Workshop A4:ResearchingHow to Make the Most of Technology

Prof. Dave Pratt, Professor of Maths Education, Institute of Education, University of London
Prof. Janet Ainley, Director, School of Education, University of Leicester

In this workshop we shall be discussing the design of pedagogic tasks which we have used in our research. The aim will be to identify some common features which we believe exploit the potential of technology to support mathematical learning and promote effective teaching. We shall present some brief scenarios and invite you to reflect on the role of technology and how this interacts with task design. In conclusion we shall offer heuristics which seem to underpin designing for mathematical abstraction.

Strand B: How can we prepare teachers for the changing educational, social and technological environments in both mathematics and ICT?

Workshop B1:Evaluating the Impact of TI-Nspire on Teachers’ Practices and the Associated Students’ Learning within Secondary Mathematics Classrooms

Jennifer Orton, Texas Instruments
Alison Clark-Wilson, University of Chichester
Cindy Hunt, DavisonHigh School for Girls
Frank Opoku, GeorgeGreenSchool

The University of Chichester, SSAT, Texas Instruments and 14 secondary mathematics’ teachers have been working collaboratively to research the impact of a new ICT resource, TI-Nspire, on teachers’ practices and the associated students’ learning within secondary mathematics classrooms. The TI-Nspire software and handhelds feature functionality which enables mathematics in its different representations to be dynamically linked, for example a geometry image alongside associated measurements, calculations, graphs and functions. This workshop will describe the project with a focus on the nature of the CPD which encourages the development of classroom activities and their associated pedagogies.

Workshop B2:The New Secondary Curriculum: Opportunities for Using ICT to do Mathematics

Nick Doran, QCA

We need to increase participation and achievement in mathematics. We aim to do this by making the learners' experience more engaging, relevant and worthwhile and designing assessments that better reflect the priorities of the new curriculum.

The workshop will review research and guidance commissioned by QCA to support development of the new curriculum and qualifications and the place of ICT in mathematics.

Workshop B3:Escape from Coursework – Mobile Technology and Controlled Assignments in GCSE Mathematics

Bernie Zakary, Head of Curriculum and Assessment, Becta
Karim Derrick, Director, TAG Learning

E-scape is an innovative approach to designing, running and assessing process-based learning. It works for Design Technology, Science and Geography. Can it work for mathematics? Using data handling in GCSE as a focus, this workshop invites you to find out more and contribute to the debate. Essential viewing before the event is 15 minutes of Teachers TV at

Workshop B4:Using ICT to Develop Mathematical Skills in the Primary School and Early Years Settings

Sheila Ebbutt, BEAM
Alex Boden, Online Creative Communications
John Lau, Online Creative Communications

BEAM and Online Creative Communications have worked closely for the past three years to create a range of innovative interactive CD-ROMs for primary schools and Early Years settings. Our aim has been to create maths resources that are motivating, that encourage collaborative working, and that present mathematics in a different way to printed materials. In the process we have worked closely with teachers and schools.

In this workshop we will look at the principles we use to develop our ICT resources, and how we have applied these in specific projects.

Strand C: What current professional development activities are there and how do these inform us about future planning?

Workshop C1:Collaborative Practice in Developing ICT Geometry Pedagogy

Dr Mark Boylan, SheffieldHallamUniversity
Prof. Hilary Povey, SheffieldHallamUniversity
Pam Charlton, NorthKestevenSchool
Alida Allen, WisewoodSchool

The NCETM-funded project involved five secondary mathematics departments in investigating different forms of collaborative professional development. The starting focus was a dynamic approach to the teaching and learning of geometry.Each of the participating schools developed their own collaborative project, which involved a variety of activities including the joint planning of lessons or activities in lessons, peer observation and team reflection.

The research aims were to explore:

the conjecture that developing collaboration by focusing on innovative pedagogy and technology may be more productive, in the first instance, than focusing on more familiar mathematical content and pedagogy
the role of the Head of Department and other school leadership in supporting and developing collaboration
the effects of clustering collaborative professional development
the effect of collaborative practice on the learning experience ofpupils

In addition the challenges to and opportunities for collaborative practice in different contexts were considered.

Workshop C2:The Problematic Nature of Teacher development: Specifically the Effective use of the Interactive Whiteboard

Frank Eade, ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity
Saul Moss, ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity

A great deal of research evidence has shown that the introduction of the IWB, of itself, does not transform the way teachers teach or pupils learn. In this workshop we aim to unpeel some of the complexities involved in the effective use of the IWB for teachers and offer some specific examples of resources and materials from the classroom that complement the issues raised. Developed from a research project funded by the NCETM.

Workshop C3:The Use of ICT (spreadsheets) in Mathematics in KS2 3

Prof. John Monaghan, Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Leeds
Peter Hallam, Teacher, WoodlandsJuniorSchool
Anthony Staneff, AST Mathematics, St Aidan's CE High School
Richard Street, Teacher, Killinghall CE Primary School

The NCETM-funded project involved KS2 and KS3 teachers working together to design tasks for their classes which involved the use of spreadsheets. Two sets of three project teachers worked together and observed each other teach. In our March 12 presentation we will report on extended (2+ hour) KS2 and KS3 lessons on ‘designing your own pizza’. This involved students, in groups, deciding what makes a ‘good pizza’ and designing and making their own pizza. We will describe our planning, show video extracts of lessons, reflect on CPD and the use of ICT and outline future plans.

Workshop C4: Supporting Professional Development in the Secondary Mathematics Classroom Using a Multimedia Resource

Mark Dawes, AST and teacher of mathematics, CombertonVillageCollege, Cambridge
Sara Hennessy, Lecturer in Teacher Development and Pedagogical Innovation, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
Rosemary Deaney, Teaching and Research Associate, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge

The T-MEDIA research project produced an interactive CD-ROM containing a video-based case study of teaching and learning with technology in one mathematics classroom.Designed as a tool for professional development, the resource aims to stimulate debate rather than present a model of best practice. It is hosted on the NCETM portal. In this follow-up project, groups of teachers discussed the pedagogical approaches portrayed, planned a lesson in response and observed each other. We present the outcomes of these trials and our development of a ‘toolkit’ that might guide other departments’ use of the resource for professional development.

Afternoon Session: 2.30 – 3.30pm

Strand A: What research is there about the effective use of ICT in mathematics learning?

Workshop A5:Making Differences to Learning - Realising the Potential of Digital Resources at KS3

Don Passey, Senior Research Fellow, LancasterUniversity

MathsAlive is a range of digital resources that provides a complete curriculum for KS3 mathematics learning, including specific resources created to meet each of the objectives in the Secondary National Strategy framework for teaching mathematics. The Maestro Project was initiated in 2003, with the participation of 27 schools, and followed the progress of pupils from Year 7 to Year 9. It ended in 2006, with a three-phase evaluation across the three-year period focused centrally on looking at impacts on learning.Findings show that when certain resources are used, and in certain ways, differences in terms of learning are recognised by pupils, teachers, independent observers, and through attainment results.

Workshop A6:Bowland Maths – Teaching Real Problem Solving in KS3

Prof. Hugh Burkhardt, Shell Centre for Mathematical Education
Daniel Pead, Shell Centre for Mathematical Education

This Bowland Trust/DCSF initiative supports teachers and pupils in thinking with mathematics about substantial open problems of the kinds that arise in real life.To be launched in June, the package is designed to help teachers to tackle the Key Process elements of the new Programmes of Study for KS3 and 4.

Bowland Maths will provide teaching materials for a variety of 3 to 5 lesson case studies, many of which include software. Handling substantial unstructured problems in the classroom presents teachers with pedagogical challenges.A 5-module in school professional development package focuses on these challenges.It is activity-based and delivered on-screen, with video.

Workshop participants will work together on some of the PD activities, and join in demos of a few case studies.

Workshop A7:Reconstructing School geometry: What Can We Learn from Research on Teacher Use of Dynamic Geometry in Classroom Practice?

Prof. Kenneth Ruthven, Professor of Education, University of Cambridge

An introductory presentation will report a study of how English secondary-school mathematics teachers are using dynamic geometry in classroom practice. This will focus on some key differences of approach and on the wider significance of these differences in the light of ideas from the research literature and the RS/JMC report on the teaching and learning of geometry. Session participants will be invited to compare key features of different approaches, to appraise novel treatments of familiar topics, and to consider how dynamic geometry might be more productively recognised by the official curriculum. No prior knowledge of dynamic geometry is required.

Strand B: How can we prepare teachers for the changing educational, social and technological environments in both mathematics and ICT?

Workshop B5:Real and Relevant Problem Solving

Prof. Neville Davies, Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education
Doreen Connor, Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education
Dr John Marriott, Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education

This workshop allows teachers to gain hands-on experience with new material for teaching statistics through a problem solving approach (PSA) and to see how CensusAtSchool ( resources can enrich the learning experience of pupils.

Using the outcomes of the QCA/RSSCSE feasibility study into whether Statistics and Data handling should remain within the mathematics curriculum, we will showcase the PSA resources produced as part of this project. All of these resources use real and relevant data that teachers and learners can relate to and use ICT methodology. The resources are wide ranging, innovative and constructed so that teachers can use real and relevant data, whilst allowing students to understand where in the problem solving cycle they are at all times and thus make sense of the concepts they are learning. We would like to see teachers getting involved in the production of a range of new problems that will enable them to integrate technology with an innovative and practical way of teaching statistics.

One further rich source of real data is available through participation in the Internet-based CensusAtSchool project and key features of it will be pointed out, including the wide range of cross-curricular resources freely available from the web site. The potential exists for further Continuing Professional Development for teachers who might wish to help design and create further resources using CensusAtSchool data available from our twelve international databases. CensusAtSchool contains real data from students from across the world and is currently running Phase 8, including questions on whether students wish to take part in reality TV shows and which endangered animal they would most like to save.

Questions we are posing:

How can we encourage mathematics teachers to make their Statistics/Data handling lessons more real and relevant for pupils?
How can we spread the word about the freely available resources that can help them use the PSA rather than teach techniques in isolation - which is boring and irrelevant for both teachers and pupils?

Further details of the projects are available from and

Workshop B6:Effective Use of “The Geometer’s Sketchpad”

Nicholas Jackiw

From the perspective of ICT capabilities, how does mathematical generality—an index of mathematical power—interact with the specificity required to speak intelligibly to specific moments in fixed curricula and teaching sequences? Dynamic Geometry benefits from the power of broad mathematical generality, and suffers occasionally for uncertainty about its curricular integration. In this workshop, we’ll use Sketchpad software, and research and professional development models based on it, to explore these issues.

Workshop B7:Uses of ICT to Facilitate Collaborative Approaches to Teaching and Learning Mathematics across the Curriculum

Ron Taylor, HIAS (Hampshire Inspection & Advisory Service)
Mike Hartnel, HenryCourtCommunity College
Andy Grice, BruneParkCommunity College

This workshop will present some of the ideas used by teachers involved in the Microsoft/TDA/Hampshire ‘Partners in Learning’ cross-curricular project. We will illustrate some of the approaches, ideas, ICT and digital resources that have been used to:

Improve pupils’ understanding and progress in difficult/hard to teachtopics
Aid engagement, give relevance and purpose to mathematics teaching and learning
Help pupils to see the links and connections between subjects- i.e. increased coherence across the subjects

Workshop B8:Using Videoconference as an Educational Medium