The Department of Mathematics and Science Education in the College of Education at East Carolina University has accepted the challenge to review and edit the curriculum of the Key of Math Program prior to its implementation in Jordan and other third world nations. The mathematics and science education department has a significant history of involvement on both a national and international level. These educators will collaborate with Dr. David Alexander, Executive Director of Cisco Learning Institute (CLI) and with Dr. Helen Parke, Manager of Research and Development for CLI and former Director of the Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology Education at ECU. CLI staff will participate in a three week math review on ECU’s campus beginning on July 11th at 8:30 am in the technology lab (room 137) located in the Flanagan Building.
The Key of Math Program is part of the Jordan Education Initiative (JEI); the largest education reform funded by public and private partnerships to improve the quality of education on an international scale in third world countries. One of the JEI projects is directed by Cisco Learning Institute and Rubicon a Jordanian based company. Rubicon partnered with the Jordanian Ministry of Education to design and develop an in-depth mathematics program available as a web based interactive curriculum for grades 1-12. The Key of Math Curriculum is available in both Arabic and English.
The intent of the program is to advance education reform efforts in developing countries by leveraging in-country models of public/private partnership for the acceleration of educational reforms. Education reform efforts that aim to improve the skill-base of citizens to better compete in the Global Economy face a number of challenges that this project addresses. Study after study display the importance of achievements in mathematics and science education as integral to the success of developing a skilled work force. The Key of Math Program is designed to contribute to building a knowledgeable economy by enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills of students. The program is also intended to improve the quality of mathematics education and serve as a compelling model for replication in other third world countries.
Since this project is a capacity building initiative in Jordan, there is a need for expert mathematics educators to review the web-based content that is intended to: - Increase teacher knowledge of mathematics and mathematics instruction through self-learning
- Introduce more powerful communication of mathematical concepts through interactive media
- Focus on real-world application of mathematics by students
- Use interactive online assessments to provide personalized feedback to students
CLI is utilizing teachers from various countries primarily from Jordan to develop an online curriculum that can be used worldwide. Dr. Robin Rider, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at ECU, was asked to participate in the review because of her experience teaching High School. Her experience is helpful in leading the group towards identifying potential updates that could be made to the program. Dr. Rider reviewed math student assessments for grades 9-12. Assessments are a tool used by teachers to see what the student has learned from a lesson. Dr. Rider is looking to see if the math problems are traditional. An example of a traditional math problem is 2+5=7; whereas a non-traditional problem would be 2+ (?)=7. Dr. Rider says it’s ideal to have a mixture of both traditional and non-traditional problems. “Math problems need to be able to show the depth of a student’s knowledge. The idea of having a mixture of traditional and non-traditional problems is not to teach in the same old style.” says Rider. Dr. Michael Bosse, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, also reviewed 9-12 curriculums.
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For more information, contact Jessica W. Davenport, Director of Communications in the College of Education, 252-328-2179.
