TECHNOLOGY, TEACHING & LEARNING
Magical Way to Solve Long-standing Math Performance Problem
by Carol Williliams
What could be more mystifying than pulling a rabbit out of a hat? Try calculating large numbers mentally faster than the data can be entered into a calculator. What hitherto may have seemed an impossible feat was witnessed first-hand by hundreds of students from two dozen schools during the “ Mathemagics” shows held at the Cave Hill campus last June. The lightning-fast calculations were just one of the many tricks on show by internationally acclaimed mathemagician Professor Arthur Benjamin that caused
jaws to drop and eyes to open wide in amazement. The event was organised by the Faculty of Science and Technology with the support of the campus’s Student Enrolment and Retention Unit and the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training . However, the show was not just entertainment, although it delivered that in spades. Its overarching goal was to stimulate interest in mathematics, a subject area plagued by declining interest and poor student performance over the years. At the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level administered by the Caribbean Examinations Council, only 37 per cent of students passed mathematics in 2022. The declining interest was not reflected
Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, Dr. Jeanese Badenock (right) pays keen attention at Professor Benjamin’s lecture.
CHILL NEWS 92
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