Math in the News
Star Trek Classroom: The Next Generation of School Desks
Researchers at Durham University have found that multi-touch, multi-user “smart” desks can boost skills in mathematics.
Education Professor Liz Burd is head of the project that worked with 400 pupils, mostly 8-10-year-olds, over the past three years to develop desks for the “classroom of the future”.
“We found our tables encouraged students to collaborate more effectively,” said Burd in an interview with Durham University News. “We were delighted to observe groups of students enhancing others’ understanding of mathematical concepts. Such collaboration just did not happen when students used paper-based approaches.”
Their findings will be published in the journal Learning and Instruction.
Source: Durham University News