The Mathematics Tutor Software Project Team: From left to right, Isack
Shayo- the inventor, Sr. Maria Samy (project instructor) and Adil Salum
(Project Evaluator)
Mathematics
is one of the subjects most feared by students in the country. It is
also the subject which most students have lost interest in. This affects
the students’ performance in other science subjects that require the
calculations and logic that is learnt in Mathematics.
Studies show that the lost of students’ interest in mathematics subjects contributes highly to the decline in number of science students while the country is still struggling in science, technology and scientific development.
Recently in Dar es Salaam there was a two-day Young Scientist Tanzania (YST) Exhibition which involved a total of 120 secondary school students from different parts of the country where 60 different science projects were displayed.
Among the projects which captured the intention of the people visited the showcase was that titled ‘Application of Computer Technology in learning Mathematics’. It was mainly a computer programming project. It involves development of an electronic learning resource for Mathematics lower secondary students in Tanzania, particularly Form One.
A form six student at Loyola High School in Dar es salaam, Isack Shayo pursuing Computer Science as an optional subject has created a computer software called Mathematical Tutor Software to serve mathematics self learning resource for lower level secondary mathematics students specifically Form One.
According to him the project is aimed at creating an efficient and interesting learning resource that would make students enjoy learning Mathematics and thus increasing their interest in Mathematics and academic performance in the subject.
Studies show that the lost of students’ interest in mathematics subjects contributes highly to the decline in number of science students while the country is still struggling in science, technology and scientific development.
Recently in Dar es Salaam there was a two-day Young Scientist Tanzania (YST) Exhibition which involved a total of 120 secondary school students from different parts of the country where 60 different science projects were displayed.
Among the projects which captured the intention of the people visited the showcase was that titled ‘Application of Computer Technology in learning Mathematics’. It was mainly a computer programming project. It involves development of an electronic learning resource for Mathematics lower secondary students in Tanzania, particularly Form One.
A form six student at Loyola High School in Dar es salaam, Isack Shayo pursuing Computer Science as an optional subject has created a computer software called Mathematical Tutor Software to serve mathematics self learning resource for lower level secondary mathematics students specifically Form One.
According to him the project is aimed at creating an efficient and interesting learning resource that would make students enjoy learning Mathematics and thus increasing their interest in Mathematics and academic performance in the subject.
“I learnt that the current students are more oriented on digital devices than printing documents including books and most of them are easily bored when they read these books. I noticed the problem and came up with the idea,’’ he says.
The young scientist puts it clear that the idea of creating the software was originated from his school’s computer science course instructor, Sr. Maria Samy who challenged him to see the possibility of creating a software which would reduce the problem of boredom that students face when using their normal learning resources.
“So I decided to sit down and finally I came up with the idea of creating the software. It is in conformity with Tanzania syllabus and it imitates the capabilities of a teacher so as to create a more powerful learning resource than books and other printed or digital media in the market today,’’
“My programme attempts to bridge the gap between books and teachers. It has added functionality and intelligence that normal textbooks or educational DVDs do not have. This makes the programme to be able to answer students’ questions, provide explanation and administer tests to the student. It therefore acts as a tutor to the student. That is why it is called the Mathematics Tutor,’’ he says .
According to the young scientist his Mathematics Tutor program has the capabilities of providing lesson notes to the student, creating tests to assess student’s achievement and correcting the student’s mistakes.
“It is therefore an intelligent application, one of a kind that has never been used or made in Tanzania.
It includes various animations and illustrations to help the student to better grasp the taught content. Due to its interactivity, it reduces the problem of boredom that students face when using their normal learning resources,’’ he says .
The young scientist adds that his program which is still being developed as it has completed by 40 per cent so far it has been developed for the Windows .NET Platform using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and the programming language Visual Basic.
“It is therefore a stand-alone application that can be installed and run on any capable computer. My self I developed the programme’s graphics that come along with the software by using Adobe Photoshop and Aurora 3D text and logo maker,’’ he insists.
However, the project and the software face some challenges, as he mentions; “For the programne to be useful, the students should have at least basic knowledge of computers and computer applications. But it is high time that schools should provide this knowledge and students exposed to computers,’’
“Also I have not been able to secure copyrights to the software, thus hindering my ability to distribute it for evaluation,’’ he says while requesting for help on that from YST and the government in general.
In accomplishing the project Shayo is working close with his fellow student Adil Salum, who is responsible for coordinating all activities that involve evaluation and also getting the recommendations on how the programme should be so as to make sure that the Mathematics Tutor is up to standard and satisfies user demands.
According to Adil during the programme’s evaluation which involved students, aiming at seeing whether the Mathematics Tutor would increase students’ ability in solving Mathematics problems and generally promote students’ interest in the subject, the results were positive.
“It was important to ask the students on what they felt about the Mathematics Tutor. In the end, all students said that they had liked the Mathematics Tutor and would like it to be given to them as a learning resource, some said it was cool and most believed it would help them increase their academic performance,’’ he says .
Adil adds that the
Mathematics Tutor can have the same impact on the subject in the entire
nation if made available to the entire public. “This is a digital
generation, so the society should flow with the changes and allow
computer technology to be applied in the various sectors of life,
including education,’’ he adds.
Commenting on the project, Shayo’s
computer science course instructor, Sr. Maria Samy says that the program
was created to tackle the problem of failure in Mathematics among
students. “We hoped that the software could increase student’s interest
in studying Mathematics which would naturally increase their performance
in the subject,’’
“We therefore tried to instruct him to make the program as interesting as possible for the target users, and also to make it intelligent so as to enable it to adjust to different situations according to the user’s demands,’’
“We also hoped that the programme would reduce the fear of Mathematics that sometimes is a result of fear against the particular teacher which can suppress the curiosity of the student since he/ she won’t be able to question the teacher.
“We therefore tried to instruct him to make the program as interesting as possible for the target users, and also to make it intelligent so as to enable it to adjust to different situations according to the user’s demands,’’
“We also hoped that the programme would reduce the fear of Mathematics that sometimes is a result of fear against the particular teacher which can suppress the curiosity of the student since he/ she won’t be able to question the teacher.
The student can ask questions to the “Mathematics
Tutor” limitlessly without fear of provoking the teacher if it were the
case,’’ she says Justine Shayo is a mother of the young scientist,
Isack Shayo. According to her, Isack started to be interested in
computer since he was in form two at Eagles Boy High School in
Bagamoyo, Coast region.
“When he completed form four he didn’t want to continue with A level studies and he insisted that he wanted to study computer science only instead. Fortunately we managed to get a suitable school for him which was Loyola high school as the school was doing good in science subjects and he agreed to join it,’’ she says .
“When he completed form four he didn’t want to continue with A level studies and he insisted that he wanted to study computer science only instead. Fortunately we managed to get a suitable school for him which was Loyola high school as the school was doing good in science subjects and he agreed to join it,’’ she says .
However, she urges other parents in the country to be concerned with the talents of their children since their early hood. “Taking our example, when our son insisted on having his own computer we fought hard till we bought it for him and after studying it for a moment now he is able to develop his own computer software, can you imagine!,’’ she says proudly.
Justine believes that one day his son will fly in success through his project and other projects which he intends to work on and that is why she as his mother, other family members and Loyola High School teachers are supporting him whenever he needs any support from them.
Mother’s blessings seem to bear fruits as at the end of the exhibition Shayo and Adil with their Mathematics Tutor emerge as the winner of two awards which are Radar Education prize for School Engagement and Innovation and the winners of 2013 category awards for Chemical, Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
