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Technology and the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics – the SINGAPORE Experience

Keng-Cheng Ang
Peng-Yee Lee
Singapore

The Future

Technology will continue to play a major role in education, and particularly in mathematics education [10]. The challenge for us is to move and align our curriculum and assessment in such a way that mathematics is not diluted but in fact enriched because we have the technology. The process may be slow and sometimes painful, but we are surely seeing some encouraging signs.

The curricula for Singapore’s junior colleges (Pre-University level) have been revamped. From 2006, teachers and students will have to handle new syllabuses for all subjects, including mathematics. In particular, graphing calculators, or GC, (which hitherto are allowed only in Further Mathematics) will now be used more widely in the mathematics courses. We expect both teachers and students to exploit the potential of GC fully as the curriculum matures. Also calculators will be introduced to primary 5 and primary 6 pupils (Grade 5-6) in 2007.

The computer can do things much faster. What was possible but took time, later became possible for the teacher to demonstrate in class. Now, it is possible to the student to do it himself and perhaps engage in computational experiments in mathematics.

All along we are under the impression that technology benefits more the students of higher abilities. In recent years it was found that it also assists the weaker students to by-pass the hurdle of algebraic manipulation so that they may now proceed to learn advanced mathematics without handicap. This is definitely an area with plenty of room to explore.

Conclusion

There is a general consensus among mathematics educators that applications of technology can be listed under the following four headings.

We have reported briefly in this paper the progress of applications of IT in Singapore. In short, items 1 and 2 above have been taken care of whereas items 3 and 4 are in progress.

Mathematics syllabus at all levels (Grades 1-12) has undergone major revamp recently. The new syllabus will be implemented from 2006 onwards. There will be a genuine reduction of content. Also school leaving examinations may no longer play such a dominant role as before. In other words, their importance has since been downplayed. This is good news for the development of using IT in mathematics in Singapore. In the last decade, we may have been pushed by the technology waves – hopefully, we are now in a better position to ride the waves of technology in the coming decade.