“Any poet, even the most allergic to mathematics, has to count up to twelve in order to compose an

alexandrine.” -Raymond Queneau

DIPLOMA PROJECT PROPOSAL

Akshataa Vishwanath | Visual Communication Design

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THE DESIGN BRIEF:

To help children explore basic mathematics and play with numbers using interactive
storytelling. Using new media technologies to enhance communication, to reach good
cognitive goals, to increase the students' attention, and to make the learning process more
interactive
The final product would be a cross between tactile and digital, with a problem-
solving/game approach, which enables the child engage with mathematics at an interactive
and dynamic level.

TARGET AUDIENCE:
Children: 9-12 years (4th-6th grade)

SCENARIO:
“I graduated from a small high school more than 40 years ago. Although I had caring
teachers, and went on to major in mathematics in college, my high school experience with
mathematics was weak. Most of my peers hated math. Algorithms and tedious procedures
were demonstrated with little or no explanation of why they work. Sense-making and
understanding were not a part of my experience of learning mathematics. Students left
class thinking that math consisted only of dull procedures and rules to memorize.
Performances over the past 30 years on the National Assessment of Education Progress and
the International Mathematics and Science Studies document that traditional mathematics
curricula and methods of teaching have not been effective. However, research is emerging
that shows reform mathematics is increasing student learning.”
Robert Reys, a former high school mathematics teacher, is a professor of mathematics
education at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Many people have had less than euphoric experiences with mathematics instruction in their
formative years. Consequently there is anxiety about children’s learning of mathematics,
especially with parents who have had less than favourable experiences themselves.

PREMISE:
Mathematics is more than the rules and operations we learnt at school. It is about
connections and seeing relationships in everything we do.

In mathematics education, number sense can refer to "an intuitive understanding of

numbers, their magnitude, relationships, and how they are affected by operations."

The term "number sense" involves several concepts of magnitude, ranking, comparison,
measurement, rounding, percents, and estimation.

Currently there is a battle between two widely divergent philosophies in teaching

mathematics. On the one side there are the mathematics educators who believe
passionately in the “constructivist” philosophy and on the other side there is a group of
conservative mathematicians who would like to see mathematics taught as it has been for
the last many decades.

Efforts to reform mathematics education are under way, but they have not reached many
classrooms in the United States. While some math teachers are emphasizing thinking and
problem solving, many students still experience mathematics that is dominated by
memorization and drill, without any meaningful context. Reform classrooms are using
technology to model and explore ideas. Students are challenged to find ways to solve
problems based on what they know and understand. They have opportunities to link math
to real-world problems.

If most schools continue to do more of what they've always done, they'll continue to
produce too many students uninterested and unmotivated to study mathematics beyond
high school.

GOAL:
 Using new media technologies to enhance learning experiences- Creating a platform for
an unconventional engagement with mathematics
 An interactive experience
 The approach is not through the immediate school curricula, but in exploring the
concepts and fascinating applications of the subject
 Teaching through storytelling
 Children are naturally curious about everyday problems; therefore using this aspect to
introduce mathematics with a “problem-solving” approach.

METHODS:
Key elements:
 Problem Solving
 Reasoning and Proof
 Communication
 Connections
 Representation
 Patterns
 Narrative
 Interactive experience

PROCESS:
Research (Books, Interviews, Internet)- Form- Narrative- Prototype- User testing- Production

 Interviewing students and teachers- About their views on the subject

 Studying the course curriculum of different education boards in India
 Studying Children’s books- The style of narrative, imagery, form
 Looking at alternative methods of math education
 Research on the usage of new media technologies in education
 Building a narrative.
 Devising the Game/Quiz element within the narrative
 Illustration Translating text to images, keeping in mind the target audience
 Using 3d interactive elements and electronics, to add the element of PLAY and
interaction
 Prototyping
 User testing and feedback
 Production
Elements to add the game/quiz approach to the narrative:
 Diagrams - Diagrams help some students organize and piece together information that
they have received. For example, students could use tally marks to make sense of the
tremendous amount of data. In probability, one often sees students using tree
diagrams.
 Graphs - Graphs help some students visualize problems. They help students organize
and piece together information they have received.
 Patterns - Students often use patterns to predict the correct answer. Some construct
tables to recognize different patterns.
 Special Case - To make problems easier to tackle, students may look at a special case in
which they are familiar to gain insight about the general case.
 Trial and Error/Guess and Check - Some students use a trial and error method to test
certain possibilities.
 Use of Previous Methods - Some students use techniques from previous problems in
hopes that the new problem is solved in the same manner.
 Use of Variables and Equations - Using variables and equations may help students
make generalizations about specific situations.
 Working Backwards - Some students find that once they know the answer, working
backwards will help them figure out the process.

LEARNING GOALS:
 Understanding the concepts of numerical cognition
 Using visual communication skills to enhance the learning experience
 Using technology to add layers and dynamic interactivity
 Narrative Building- Image and text
 Communicating, rather than didactic teaching
 Designing something which enables children to learn through playing/exploring by
themselves, thus enabling deeper engagement with the subject

RESOURCES:
 Illustration
 Photography
 3D (Pop ups?)
 Exploring materials
 Basic electronics, sensors
 Programming?

REFERENCES:
Numbers, mathematics, numerical cognition:
 The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)-
(Principles and Standards for School Mathematics are guidelines produced by the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in 2000, setting forth
recommendations for mathematics educators.)
 The Number Sense: How the Mind Creates Mathematics -By Stanislas Dehaene
 “How Does It Add Up? Views on Math Education” by Alfred Posamentier, Ph.D.
 Course curriculum- Akanksha Foundation (Mumbai-based NGO)
 The RE.MATH project-
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=PROJ_ICT&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ&Q
UERY=01250273eef2:51d6:2083b740&RCN=80623
 Flatland- Edwin Abbott
 Ko’s Journey- Interactive Math Game-http://www.kosjourney.com

Interactivity, New Media, Learning, Education:

 Understanding Media- Marshall McLuhan
 The Language of New Media- Lev Manovich
 The New Media Reader- Edited by Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Nick Montfort
 Crayon Physics- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdGlLviLHmU
 Exploratorium (San Francisco)- The museum of science, art and human perception
 http://www.exploratorium.edu/
 Scratch- A platform to create and share your own interactive stories, music, games and
art
 http://scratch.mit.edu/
 PicoCricket- An interactive platform where you can create playful inventions
http://www.picocricket.com/
 MIT OpenCourseWare: www.videolectures.net

PERSONAL STATEMENT:
I want to work on this project because I have always been keen on Design and Education.
This is a great opportunity for me to work on my visual communication skills to facilitate
learning. I am very interested in working with 3D materials, paper engineering as well as
technology, and would love to explore these in my project. (Also, I am very interested in
mathematics, and would like to work on helping children explore it in a fun, interactive way).

My attempt will be to use technology to enhance learning, and to help children play with
numbers. I hope that the experience stays with them as they grow in life.
 Interactive v/s Tutorial:
I have researched on the teaching techniques employed to introduce children to
mathematics. The main difference between my project and those that have already been
done is that this an interactive experience, rather than just an alternative teaching
method. The other work that is done in this area is mainly tutorial in nature.
As a visual communication designer, I intend to work on the interactive experience,
through narrative, illustrations, and new media.
 Play
Most of the work already done in this area requires an instructor to guide the child
through the process. In this project however, there will be an element of play, which
enables the child to discover it himself, making it more enjoyable.
 Relevance
Lastly, the storytelling involved will be relevant to the child’s world, making him draw
connections between numbers and the world around him.

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