Maths on Moodle

Maths on Moodle

by Robert Draper -
Number of replies: 7

I'm looking for ideas on how to integrate Mathematics into Moodle.

My research so far has not been very productive especially in the use of algebraic formulae input. I know you can use piggyback equation editors but they have a language all of there own for staff and students to get use to.

I'm just after inspiration for students aged 11 to 18. How are teachers in the community using maths with Moodle?

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In reply to Robert Draper

Re: Maths on Moodle

by David McAll -

Hi Robert,

I have no direct answer to your question about entering algebraic formuae, but we do have many schools using SUMS Maths on Moodle (as SCORM 2004 packs). These include algebra based topics that allow entry of algebraic working, with many more under development.

You can download 8 samples, though not algebraic ones at the following address,

http://www.sums.co.uk/scorm.htm

or go onto the home page of www.sums.co.uk and send for an eval CD (PC version) to see the set of 90+.

Best wishes,

David
david@sums.co.uk
+44 (0)1454 853539

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In reply to Robert Draper

Re: Maths on Moodle

by Brian Mulligan -
This is one solution that a lot of teachers and students like:

Kit:
  • headset (with microphone)
  • Graphics tablet (medium quality - ~€80 around here)
  • Microsoft Paint (or any other tool that lets you draw on a white background) - PowerPoint works even better.
  • Jing (a free screen recorder from Techsmith.com the Camtasia people)
  • Screencast.com account (free from Techsmith)
Procedure:
  • Bring up MS Paint so that you have a white screen that you can draw on.
  • Check your mic is on.
  • Start recording with Jing.
  • Do out your mathematical problem on the white sheet, by drawing and writing with your tablet (you et better at this in time)
  • Finish the recording and upload to Screencast.com
  • Publish the link it gives you in Moodle (You can also set up an RSS feed in Moodle to a particular folder in your Screencast account)
This can be used to quickly create mathematics learning resources or just as a response to student queries. (eg. you can post the link in a Moodle forum as a response to a question). Som people are even getting the students to use Jing to submit assignments.

Hope this is of some help.

brian

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In reply to Brian Mulligan

Re: Maths on Moodle

by Robert Draper -
Thanks for that Brian I've got a few copies of Camtasia kicking around but I'll try your suggestions as they are free.
At the moment our Moodle maths mostly consists of links to off site resources plus whatever we've created. I need to get the maths dep fired up with innovative ideas for using Moodle which is where I come in looking for the ideas.

I'd like to get the IT and animation deps involved creating resources in flash and of course Hotpotatoes for the lower years but all have their limitations and then again no ones got the time because of Curriculum schedules.

I visited Drag Maths a while ago and put it on the back burner in case I found something superior.
We are also going to try VideoCasting maths lessons as a resource. But I'd really like to use some sort of Moodle Module.
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In reply to Robert Draper

Re: Maths on Moodle

by Marc Grober -
I guess I missed the boat....

Are you talking about notation and display tools (such as dragmath, EqEd, tex, asciimathml, jsmath, etc.) , drill/assessment tools (webworks, STACK, IMATHAS, hotpots, moodle quiz/lesson) or exposition tools (such as java sketchpad, descartes, etc)

Are you looking for commercial Math Moodle materials as available from triplealearning.co.uk or coolschool.ca?

You might want to read up on what Mauno has done to update and moodlize Peter and David's work with xinha and how that has developed in to what I have been EqEd and finally SEE, the Super Equation Editor

I would suggest that you check out this post (http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=115052&parent=505137) as well as the Math Forum (http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=752)

btw, while jing can be handy for students, it is a far cry from captivate or camtasia as it does not afford the interactive options that are very effective in doing lessons (for example, having the student click on this or that and then addressing that). If you familiar with Adobe tools, the e-learning suite ed. price is very attractive


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In reply to Marc Grober

Re: Maths on Moodle

by Robert Draper -
Thanks for info Mark that's exactly what I was looking for - checked out your links and found them to be very useful.
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In reply to Robert Draper

Re: Maths on Moodle

by Marc Grober -
While I understand your concern, students do have to learn to write math at some point, so I find asciimathml combined with dragmath outputting asciimathml a nice solution.... as students can use a GUI constructor if they get confused, but can write math much as they are accustomed between back ticks and have it look like they expect..... In other words, one of the highlights of what Peter did was to make asciimathml a very simple option for students who thereby do NOT have to learn tex.... and when you add the power of dragmath it allows the student to explore more complex notation as they are ready....

Brian's solution (or variations thereon) can also be done in a number of other ways and is almost trivial when you have a laptop with a touchpad..... but the student response remains an image..... I have not explored using touch based PCs that purport to convert your writing into ascii. Based on the spatial issues involved I would have my doubts as to whether such a beastie exists/works, though that would be something to look at..... but as I suggested when I started, one of the first lessons we teach children in math is order of operations, which in some respects translates as far as much of HS math into the same lesson as learning how to write math..... evidence the recent confusion over something like (x+1)+(x-1)x, which would be $$(x+1) + \frac{(x-1)}{x}$$, not $$\frac{(x+1)+(x-1)}{x}$$

There are tracker items to add asciimathml and dragmath not only to Moodle 2 but to Moodle.org so that we could demo some of this (which could rather easily be done thanks to work done by Mauno) but as yet we have not seen those changes ......
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