There is always a danger of reading too much into a
set of statistics. The above figures could prompt the question: why are girls
finding mathematics so difficult?
Learning Online would seem to suit the typical boy. In fact it could be that
this medium is ideal for tackling the problem of underachieving boys, since the
duration and content of tasks can be strictly controlled, and could even be
made customisable (by the teacher) to cater specifically for these problems.
All-boy classes or more male teachers, are two of the approaches David Blunkett
(present UK Education Minister) has suggested. However, a report from Australia
has picked holes in both.
Factors Influencing the Educational Performance of Males and
Females in School and their Initial Destinations after Leaving School a
report by Professor Jane Kenway, Language and Literacy Centre, University of
South Australia, and Dr Cherry Collins and Dr Julie McLeod, Deakin Centre for
Education and Change, Deakin University. describes the patterns of males' and
females' educational participation and performance at school, their initial
destinations after leaving school, the key influencing factors and the
disadvantages that arise from them.
What is required according to the report is a curriculum designed to encourage
boys to understand different ways of being male. There is an absolute necessity
for challenges to the peer culture of boys." Ann Phoenix, a professor at
the Open University, has just completed a study of boys' attitudes to work. She
agrees with Kenway. "You can't intervene without involving young people.
They are not passive, you can't just do things to them. You have to understand
the place of laddish culture in boys' lives, work with them, take them
seriously."
[Some of the above comes from a report in The Guardian, and
available on their
website: type Clever lad! into the search
box]
3.1.2 Ability range
Is it possible for online materials to cater for all abilities? Unless care is
taken, online approaches may only be suitable for the middle and higher ability
students, particularly if reading age is ignored. Differing social backgrounds
are difficult to cater for too. How can we reach disadvantaged children at
home? In the case of the home service, how do we cater for uneducated parents
when trying to reach uneducated children? Recent articles in The
Guardian have
highlighted the social reasons for so-called chaos in UK city schools. It is
unlikely that some inner city homes will contain books, let alone a computer
and Internet access. There has to be a way for poorer and disadvantaged
students, including those with special needs, to gain access. The key to
solving this problem lies with the development of the "viewer":
currently this is the relatively esoteric web browser but soon it will be the
TV and mobile phone and thus available to a huge percentage of the general
public.
3.1.3 Cultural range
Can online materials cater for the multi-cultural aspects of our various
societies? There is potential to publish materials in languages other than
English, or else supply the means to translate English text. One positive aim
of such a service could be to link different cultures together. Using video
conferencing or the like, schools in differing ethnic communities can meet.
3.1.4 Timings
There is a strong feeling that mathematics is best studied in the morning.
Primary schools will do their regulation Numeracy hour in the morning. Can
Online take this into account? Would it make sense for mathematics materials to
be available on the Internet only in the mornings? Availability could be
restricted in other time-based ways too to cater for short attention spans or
lack of focus.
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