All+Digital+Math

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I think the future will be all digital teaching. Although a lot of "distance learning" programs are available. But they tend to be traditional approaches just done online. If you could design an all digital Algebra II class, what would it look like?

I think this class would need to be free and available to anyone who was interested.

Some questions that would need to be answered: (We can always add more.)

=What topics would need to be covered?= For now we could use a standard Algebra II curriculum.

=How would instruction be delivered?= I think this would be the easiest part of an all online class. There are already hundreds of YouTube videos teaching practically everything you would want to know. See KhanAcademy for great examples. There would need to be a process for evaluating videos.

Getting taught by a interactive human being is definitely something different and way more efficient than getting taught by a static video. It's psychologically proven that you are rather able to remember information taught by someone than a recording of someone.

If it has to be online then It should be an interactive lesson where teachers and students are connected via webcam and microphone. Then if you don't get something you can ask and get explained - not watching those 20s of the YouTube video over and over again -.

=How would assessment be done?=

I think this would be the hardest part of designing an all digital math class. Any ideas are welcome.


 * 1) Website Assessment - A dynamic website checks your answer of preset problems. (Aleks like)
 * 2) Manual Assessment - A manually created web form with problems where the answers are checked by the teacher

Digital Assessment all have one weakness. You can cheat. How do you know that the person is the one supposed to be? How do you know the person isn't looking up formulas, asking others. It's just missing the scare part of assessments where students are sitting in 3 columns in the infamous "Testing Room" where at least 2 teachers are walking up and down.

=Projects that would cover the curriculum and could be done online?= Why do projects have to be done online?


 * 1) PowerPoint Presentations - can be a product of a group project.
 * 2) Video's of math **applied** in all-day life - not teaching videos -

=How will the future of education be like?= Anyway, I think the future of education will be something like this. How would you do these things?

I personally don't think that in near future everything will be all electronic and over the internet. Even then at least I will not use them. I still prefer a hard printed book over an glowing LCD screen. Or go to school than just sitting at home at the computer. School is just more than just teaching but also a social network.