I was reading a paper about MathML by O. Caprotti and D. Carlisle when I came across ActiveMath mentioned as an implementation of MathML. I wondered to the website and found it to be an excellent resource for all levels of Math instruction - from basic to college level calculus and other advanced Math.
"ActiveMath is a stable, web-based, multi-lingual, user-adaptive learning system for mathematics." The system keeps track of the user actions and assesses his performance. The user can be a teacher who can create lesson plans and assemble content that will be delivered on a regular basis to the students. The content can include tutorials, actual pages from the textbook and also interactive exercises! The student also has access to useful tools like online graphing calculator, CAS (Computer Algebra System) amongst many other things! There is also an option called "Tutor Dialogue System" which lets the student create solve his difficulties by solving them step by step. The student is guided as he would be by a tutor - getting hints, evaluating the answers and giving feedback. I found this tool to be really interesting. Try it out : Login using the second option here. Click tools on the top right and then Tutor Dialogue System. Run through an example on the pop up, you will be amazed!
I feel this can be used very aptly in online tutoring. Since we have one on one tutoring for students who are below the threshold GPA and are having difficulties in the classes, we can schedule one student with one tutor for the whole semester. The tutor will guide the student via creating content for him/her using appropriate exercises. Maybe we can add a chat application to aid with the website where the tutor will login twice a week along with the tutee and evaluate the performance for the week. The options are endless!
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I am so glad you did not want me to read that paper by Caprotti and Carlisle – I read the introduction and started to panic. The ActiveMath site appears to be “an excellent resource for all levels of Math instruction,” as you stated. Here is what I am thinking…. In order to scaffold student learning, which I understand you are at the bottom of knowledge acquisition and comprehension in many cases, to a higher level we must individualize student instruction. Sounds easy but as I have found and shared it isn’t so. In my opinion there are two outstanding components: 1) variety – which I think you have done an excellent job sharing with us and 2) background knowledge – again many of the sites you have shared can address weak areas that students need extra help in. You should have a plethora of sites to help address a variety of learning styles and needs of your students by now. Have you been able to form opinions about which you like best and why?
That is always a challenge in teaching - how to reach eac individual student. I agree - it seems like there is a lot of variety here. There are also many different directions you can go. Although, I teach reading, I often have to help my students in math when I am tutoring them. This resource will be beneficial to me.
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