CECS Maths Project

The CECS Maths Project  seeks to use a multi-faceted approach to develop Open Educational Resources for Grade 12 Mathematics involving Educators and Learners, with a view of enhancing teaching effectiveness and improving Learner results.  The specific goal of the project is the development of a unique maths application and the Communal Maths Basket (CO.M.B) in an open education format and building the requisite capacity of users (Educators and Learners) in the optimal use of this tool.

Background context

The current South African education system faces two major challenges namely the lack of qualified educators in the fields of Mathematics and Science, and the lack of scholars entering into the fields of Mathematics and Science after matriculation.

The use of ICT in education can go a long way towards combating these problems.  However, there are two main barriers hampering the effective implementation of ICTs in education:

• A vast number of educators do not have adequate levels of ICT literacy to be able to promote ICT in education and introduce their students to ICTs; and
• There is limited free and cheaply available content that can be used by educators and scholars.

The power of the Maths Project

The CECS Maths Project directly addresses these issues by:

• promoting ICT training for educators:  this will equip educators to be able to better access as well as create their own maths material freely using the developed maths application;
• establishing a central dissemination network:  this entails the establishment of a central network through which Maths content may be uploaded under a Creative Commons licence for free and open use; and
• developing a maths application:  critical to the dissemination network will be the multi-platform portal approach. Different types of dissemination portals will be established including web based portals, mobile-portals, and ‘hub-stations’ as well as a manual distribution network so as to be able to effectively distribute Maths material to a wide variety of end-users from different financial backgrounds.

Planned project activities

The following are the activities to achieve the objectives:

• Conducting workshops in 7 provinces, with the exclusion of Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, targeting 36 schools per province, thus reaching 105 Grade 12 Mathematics Educators;
• Developing, producing and dissemination of a 1000 training videos which will show Educators in a step-by-step manner how to develop question/test papers which incorporates text, equations, sketches and drawings;
• Developing, producing of screencasts  and step-by-step tutorials which show Educators in a step-by-step manner how to develop question/test papers which incorporates text, equations, sketches and drawings;
• Training of 36 Educators from 6 provinces, who have attended the workshop, as facilitators who will train other Educators in order to ensure a cascading effect;

• Developing the Communal Maths Basket (CO.M.B)  application development concept which aims to develop a dissemination network which is able to distribute digital maths educational content in an affordable and efficient manner;
• Researching, compiling a list with write-ups of FLOSS applications for Mathematics Educators and how it aligns with the National Curriculum Statement;

• Disseminating a 2000 CDs/DVDs with FLOSS applications for the benefit of Educators and Learners;
• Networking and engaging with stakeholders and partners on a continuous basis; and
• Promoting the portal and Maths application though the production of marketing material, marketing and advertising.

For more information email info@cecs.org.za

Visit the CECS project website.