Matific. Good or Bad for the classroom?
- Ebonie
- Apr 6, 2019
- 2 min read
Write a review for a local educational blog about the way in which Matific can be used.
Support your ideas with literature.
When teaching, it is imperative to not only incorporate technology, but to incorporate technology in a way which is meaningful and purposeful. Allowing students to explore and create through technology not only using it as a digital notebook allows students to engage with the 21st century world.
According to Attard (2016),
“Declining student engagement with mathematics is a major concern … The need to incorporate digital technologies into the teaching and learning of mathematics is now an integral aspect of Australian classrooms, with current curriculum documents expressing explicit expectations that digital technologies are incorporated into the teaching and learning of mathematics (Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority, 2012; Board of Studies New South Wales, 2012).” (p xi).
Therefore it is essential to effectively incorporate technology into all aspects of the classroom. So why not use it in mathematics? Many educators and parents already use technology for maths without recognising it. For example, the many times-tables songs found on the internet are a for of technology in mathematics. But it doesn't have to stop there. Gamification is very important in exciting and engaging students into learning.
Matific is an online mathematics teaching resource that was created by educators in accordance to the Australian Curriculum and NESA outcomes.
In her research she concluded that
“It is clear from the data that the incorporation of Matific did improve overall engagement with mathematics for the majority of students involved in this project.” (Attard, 2016, p63).
So the question becomes, should we use Matific in the classroom? I believe so, the fact that Matific not only has games but teaching resources such as lesson plans involving gamification will definitely enhance student engagement and hopefully create classrooms where mathematics becomes one of their favourite subjects that they look forward to doing.
As stated by Monteleone (2019)
“Knowledge is not passively received, but actively constructed by the learner” (slide 24),
Matific allows for that active construction by not just putting an ‘x’ on the wrong answer but allowing the students to figure out where they went wrong, giving them simpler questions and catering to the students needs. Matific can become a very engaging recourse if used correctly by teachers.
As Hughes (2019) -a Numeracy Educator from Matific- states:
“The subject mathematics is crucial to the progression of our nation and humanity itself. It really is that serious and for me there is no better test for whether or not a teacher should say something than “is this something that the children can find themselves?” If they can, don’t say it. If they can’t help them find it.” (slide 29)
References:
Attard, C. (2016). Research Evaluation of Matific Mathematics Learning Resources: Project Report. https://doi.org/10.4225/35/57f2f391015a4
Hughes, B. (2019) EDMA241, The role technology can play in engaging students in mathematics. [powerpoint slides] Retrieved from: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LUYveCrZwOQkTMiwmzvI7UqqlAbqmM4U-oON3GYmQss/edit#slide=id.p29
Monteleone, C. (2019)., EDMA241, Week 1 lecture [powerpoint slides] Retrieved from: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GOgoLQYN51HlDf2kWw3VeGDi1NT-ThCPkNy47oXm
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