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Interactive Mathematics by implementing a Blended-Learning model with Augmented Reality and Game books
Start date: Sep 1, 2015, End date: Aug 31, 2018 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The main aim of the project is to implement a blended model, explore and develop innovative approaches, student centered, for all students, including also the share of low and top achievers students, supported by ICT tools, to teaching and learning mathematics for the upper secondary education (10th to 12th grade). At the same time, teachers and students will also develop skills in information technologies. Results from the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), show that Norway, Portugal, Spain and Turkey are below the OECD average in mathematics, with a mean performance of 489, 487, 484 and 448 score points. The countries that show significant improvement in PISA performance – Brazil, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Tunisia and Turkey – are those that manage to reduce the proportion of low-achieving students. In Norway, Portugal and Spain about one out of four students, in Turkey about one out of two students, still do not attain the baseline proficiency Level 2 in mathematics. It means that in the best of the cases, low achievers students can extract relevant information from a single source and can use basic algorithms, formulae or procedures to solve problems involving whole numbers. The PISA report also concludes that “improvement in performance rarely comes at the expense of equity in education.” There are exceptions to this. “Between 2003 and 2012, Poland and Portugal increased the proportion of high performers in mathematics as they simultaneously reduced the proportion of low performers. Improvements in mathematics performance in Mexico, Tunisia and Turkey, all of which scored well below average in their first PiSA tests, are observed mainly among low-achieving students. This usually means greater equity of education opportunities in these countries too. “ (OECD, PISA in Focus 2015/01. pp.4). The MILAGE-MathematIcs bLended Augmented GamE project is looking for improving mathematical performance and achievements for all students including also those in the PISA share of low achievers and the top performers. In this project we plan to extend traditional learning environment to a virtual classroom setting that will keep students connected for learning mathematics by the exploration of motivating math tools that will enable students to practice more. Different tools and materials will be explored including a social learning platform to connect students, teachers and parents; video lectures; augmented reality and math games that will be available in smartphones, tablets or the web. We want to take advantage of mobile devices for teaching and learning. The availability of smartphones and tablets accessible on a large scale, allow the expansion of social and participative web technologies. It is important to note that these students are the generation of digital games and social networks. In this context it is wise to consider the integration of digital media and mobile devices, allowing students to set personal goals, to manage educational content and to communicate with others in the right context. However, according to the EU Commission initiative Opening Up Education (25 September 2013), between 50% and 80% of students in EU countries never use digital textbooks, exercise software, podcasts, simulations or learning games. Most teachers at primary and secondary level do not consider themselves as 'digitally confident' or able to teach digital skills effectively, and 70% would like more training in using ICTs. We want to implement blended model for teaching and learning mathematics that will accommodate gaming mechanics that it is two-fold: complexity and detail. It will have three different levels of problems complexity: beginners, intermediate and advanced. On the other hand each problem will have two levels of explanations/resolutions: detailed and concise. In this way, all students will be accommodated in a learning environment student centred. The low-achieving students that may struggle to learn the materials covered in class, can study and repeat the materials as many times as they may need to learn. Students will have access to complex problems and activities that may provide additional stimulation for top performers students. Teachers will also be more confident to give homework activities to their students. It is known that it is important to assign homework, to help struggling or underachieving students to learn the material covered in class, to ensure that the material is stored in students’ long-term memory, or to provide additional stimulation for high performers. But homework can be particularly burdensome for disadvantaged students. Their parents’ may not have the skills to help them, they may not have the resources to support them on private lessons. We aim at providing the same support for all the students so that we can contribute to weaker the relationship between students’ socio-economic background and mathematics performance.

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