Digital technologies and mathematics education - JMC UK Report published

Against a background of widespread concern about the UK's ability to meet the increasingly technological skills needs of major sectors of the economy, the JMC established a working group to consider the role which digital technologies might and should have in mathematics education, now and in the near future."
(Digital Technologies and Mathematics Education, JMC, 2011)

The Joint Mathematical Council of the United Kingdom publishes its report into digital technologies and mathematics education, with five recommendations for policy makers, school leaders and teachers.





The report recommends key changes to support teachers in developing and sharing excellent practice in the use of digital technologies for teaching of mathematics and other STEM subjects. The report and executive summary are available to download below.

"Unless we can develop mathematics education in a more stimulating way, which takes into account the modern world and students' interests, we are in danger of turning mathematics into an increasingly "dead language" and alienating groups of students whose mathematical potential will remain undeveloped."
(Digital Technologies and Mathematics Education, JMC, 2011)

Report recommendations

Recommendation 1: For policy makers and teachers
School and college mathematics should acknowledge the significant use of digital technologies for expressive and analytic purposes both in mathematical practice outside the school and college and in the everyday lives of young people.

Recommendation 2: For policy makers
Curriculum and assessment in school mathematics should explicitly require that all young people become proficient in using digital technologies for mathematical purposes.

Recommendation 3: For policy makers
High-stakes assessment needs to change in order to encourage the creative use of digital technologies in mathematics classes in schools and colleges.

Recommendation 4: For policy makers and school leaders
As the development of a technologically enriched student learning experience occurs at the level of the classroom, such change has to be supported by school leaders and accompanied by sustained professional development opportunities for teachers.

Recommendation 5: For policy makers
The UK Departments for Education and for Business, Innovation and Skills should establish a Task Force to take the lead in bringing together various parties with appropriate expertise to take forward the recommendations of this report and advise the Departments on required policy initiatives.