Computer-Based Math is an educational project started by Conrad Wolfram in 2010 to promote the idea that routine mathematical calculations should be done with a computer.
Conrad Wolfram believes that mathematics education should make the greatest possible use of computers for performing computation leaving students to concentrate on the application and interpretation of mathematical techniques. Wolfram also argues that computers are the basis of doing math in the real world and that education should reflect that and that programming should be taught as part of math education.
Wolfram contends that this approach is fundamentally different from most of the use of Computers in the classroom (or Computer-based mathematics education), whose role is to help to teach students to perform hand calculations, rather than to perform those computations and is also distinct from delivery tools such as E-learning systems.
In 2010 the website www.computerbasedmath.org was set up to start developing a new curriculum and interactive digital learning materials to support it. It holds an annual conference.
In February 2013, Estonia announced that it would be piloting a Computer-Based Math developed statistics course in cooperation with the University of Tartu. The African Leadership University plans to use materials developed by ComputerBasedMath.org in its Data and Decisions curriculum.
UNICEF supported the third Computer-Based Math Education Summit in New York, in 2013.
Examples of calculations that should be done with a computer include arithmetical operations such as long division or integration techniques such as trigonometric substitution.
In 2020 Wolfram published a book "The Math(s) Fix" detailing the problems and his proposed solution.
See also
References
- We need to base maths lessons on computers The Telegraph, 03 Dec 2009
- Revival Plan The New Indian Express
- Computers do it better, Times Higher Education Supplement, 30 March 2012
- Closing the gap between modern life and the math curriculum New York Times, 10 Feb 2013
- Reinventing Math for the Computational Knowledge Economy Big Think, Jan 2013
- http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6395648 Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine Times Educational Supplement
- ICT teaching upgrade expected in 2014 The Guardian, 20 Aug 2012
- Teaching kids real math with computers TED 2010
- Estonian Schools to Teach Computer-Based Math Wall Street Journal, 11 Feb 2013
- Math Rebels Invade Estonia With Computerized Education Wired, 12 Feb 2013
- Estonia Chosen as Testing Ground for Math Education Experiment Estonian Public Broadcasting News
- Estonian, British experts team up to develop computer-based math education Postimees, 13 Feb 2013.
- http://www.alueducation.com/en/alu-partner-computer-based-maths-announces-annual-summit-3/
- UNICEF and Computerbasedmath.org Announce Major Summit to Reconceptualize Math Education Worldwide unicefstories.org
- Stop Calculating And Start Teaching Computational Thinking Forbes.com June 2020