How E-Learning Combined with Traditional Teaching Method Works in Math

By Vic Odarve

Although traditional classroom based instruction works well in math, the method can be improved with the inclusion of e-learning technology. This teaching strategy is advantageous in math courses as computers or laptops bring the students to a new heights of modern technology application in mathematical calculations; blogs and  websites facilitate learning instructions outside the classroom lectures and allow the students to study at their own pace. As a result, university can be a world class teaching institution.

University needs E-learning

Yes, math lectures must go hand in hand with our advancement in science and technology especially with computers. This combinative math teaching method allows students to use computers or laptops and its application to mathematical computation. Laptops have programs, such as MS Excel, etc., that would make calculations in courses such as statistics, economics, matrices, linear programming, etc., easier and faster. 

For example, after our traditional board and eraser presentation in classrooms, students must countercheck the results using the computer program. In economics, students learn how to apply the software in computing depreciations, simple and compound interests, and annuities.  In linear algebra, they learn in matrices on how to compute unknown quantities using inverse method, eigenvectors and eigenvalues, and a sort of programming on vectors. In stats, students learn on how to compute measures of central tendency and dispersion using software, and many more in descriptive and inferential. In this manner students will appreciate the importance of computer in math calculations, time savings it entails, and benefits it brings as more accurate, faster and easier. Math solution is at your fingertips!

Modern Technology is a part of our life

Lecturers or teachers can do more tricks!  Quizzes and exams must be solved by manual computation and by computer generated solutions.   It’s another challenge and they will love it!

In addition to the use of computer to do mathematical computation, this math teaching method also encourages the use of websites or blogs to further the course discussion not finish in the classrooms. With web or blog sites, lecturers can post, for example, unfinished classroom business, areas of concentration for students to study on final exams, additional instruction, and exam results of a particular course and post the top performers. Or even post the grades a few more weeks after the exam and let the students see their grades before submission to the Head of Department and Record Office.

Further, students can scan the web or blog and revisit from time to time as often as they want to review the lessons and topics discussed; study at their own pace outside the classroom; believe they have more retention in the lessons especially if we posted video tutorials in a particular course. With blogsites students can ask their questions, discuss their ideas, and even offer some more suggestions thru e-mails and responses. This is something classroom instruction cannot usually offer. 

It is now a rapid changing world where an education acquired 10 years ago is no longer relevant or maybe obsolete today if not upgraded. It is a paradigm shift!

This combined traditional and e-learning method in math teaching is indeed a great help to the students as well as the lecturers. Students appreciate the use of computers in math calculations and lecturers, too, benefited by posting important additional instructions in websites where students can enjoy learning at the own pace outside the classrooms. A whole new package! 

Whether we like it or not, it’s simply the way the technology is heading! And we have to embrace it and slowly and slowly we have a world class university in the making!