Nuffield interactive mathematics courseware

Abstract

Major changes are taking place both in the content of A-Level Mathematics courses and in the style in which they are taught. Modern technology has created opportunities for improving teaching at schools and universities which are desirable in themselves, and which can also help to meet educational pressures for change. The Nuffield Foundation had funded an 18 month pilot project ending June 1993 to study these questions, and develop two experimental modules, Matrices and Data Fitting. Both development and evaluation were carried out in collaboration with several universities, and students from several disciplines were involved. The materials are intended mainly for those who require mathematics as part of another main subject. Materials were written in the hypertext style developed in the Renaissance Project and interactive mathematical and graphical animations were emphasized. From the outset the project addressed the issue of the “not made here” effect through consultation with potential users. The strategy was to design materials in a hierarchy of modules, units and elements to be managed within a highly flexible control structure in such a way that lecturers and teachers could either build their own course, or use preassembled materials out of a “kit of parts”. Lessons learned have provided the basis for the authoring style adopted by the UK Mathematics Courseware Consortium (UKMCC).