How many of us asked in maths classes ‘when will I ever use this in the real world’ ? Well there are some vocational roles that require us to use our maths skills every single day.
Responding to this need, South Devon College is developing an interactive teaching and learning tool that hyper-contextualises maths problems related directly to vocational careers. No more theoretical problems to solve – all the solutions here are directly needed in the workplace.
For example, calculating how much paint is needed to cover a wall is a necessary skill that students have to acquire in the painting and decorating courses. Using this example, the learning tool asks questions of the learners that require the correct paint calculations for a positive result. By doing this, learners are importing their proficiency of basic maths skills such as area and coverage, but most importantly understanding why they are needed.
The training will be delivered through the development of an app to be used across a mobile web platform which will ensure maximum accessibility for the end users, including offline functionality.
The next step is to expand this project to make it more accessible to more learners on a wide variety of courses.