Bayview Beach Resort, Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang, Malaysia

27-30 September 1999

Maths Concurrent Assistance On-line

Deborah Soccio

Syed Javed

Program of Adult Basic Education, Victoria University, Australia

Abstract

Rationale:
Many students enrolled in vocational and educational training courses [VET] find maths components of the courses particularly challenging due to specific vocabulary and learning skills required. This is reflected by the significant number of students in some courses who seek additional support. Organisations such as Victoria University, Australia, invest in various forms of concurrent support but there is always a pressing need to find innovative ways to extend and diversify that support. The Maths Concurrent Assistance (MCA) Online Project was funded by Open Training Services (OTS), Melbourne, Australia. The project aims to create a web based learning environment for concurrent assistance in Maths. This online environment has developed maths learning sites for Engineering, Business, VCE (years 11-12) and General Maths. Each section will offer content-specific maths resources based on 12 learning units which are common to one or more of the above areas. The online environment provides three main sections: Resource Section - the Resource section of the MCA online provides students with solved and unsolved examples of common maths problems based on maths skills which may be required by students in their field of study. It also provides access to java enabled maths learning on content-specific number skills, algebra, trignometry, mensuration (including geometry) and statistics. Discussion Forum - this section provides a discussion board for students to ask questions. Teachers and students can support each other via this discussion board. In addition, a list of "Frequently Asked Questions" on discipline-specific maths content enables students to look for answers to commonly asked questions about the courses in the selected area. Real-time tutorials - this section provides tutorial support using web-enabled synchronous chat facilities. The tutorials are topical and run at advertised times.
This workshop will provide participants with opportunity to experience the tutor-student interaction of the online environment as well as join in critical discussion of access and resource issues.

Workshop