Website to spread ideas from TLRI project

One TLRI project has created its own website to help spread its ideas about the teaching of algebra.

The website, “Teaching Algebra Conceptually”, is at: https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/tac/

The website emerged from a two year project led by Dr Chris Linsell of the University of Otago, in partnership with teachers from King’s High School and St Hilda’s Collegiate, and was created largely through the work of research assistant Megan Anakin.  The project was designed to explore and create teaching approaches to assist students in years 9 and 10 to develop a conceptual understanding of algebra. The effect of these teaching approaches was documented using a diagnostic tool that assessed and made students’ knowledge and strategic thinking in algebra explicit.

“There is often little communication between educational researchers, who publish papers in academic journals, and classroom teachers, whose concerns are about planning their next lessons,” Dr Linsell says. “As most teachers today use the Internet to access resources and information, we wanted to create a user-friendly website that would introduce teachers to our research.”
The website contains information on the challenges the students faced and practical ways to help them. Interested teachers can also post questions or share their experiences.

You can find out more about the project here