A maths lab to remove fear of the subject
The laboratory is a novel concept which enables students to learn and explore mathematical concepts and verify facts and theorems using tools such as the Geometers sketchpad.
The Central Board of Secondary Education has directed that 20 per cent of the marks will be allocated to each student from lab assessments to be added to final marks, L Balasubramanian, president of School Learning Solutions at NIIT, said.
“The demand for the mathematics lab is such that many non-CBSE board schools like Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan in Kolkata, which is affiliated to West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, have set up mathematics labs in their schools,” Balasubramanian said.
The mathematics laboratory helps students to understand, internalize, discover and verify the basic mathematical and geometrical concepts through concrete objects and situations, thus building interest and confidence in students learning the subject, N K Sinha, a retired professor of Bose Institute in Kolkata, said.
The laboratory also encourages students to think and discuss among themselves as well as with the teacher thus helping assimilate concepts, Sinha said.
The concept of the lab enables teachers to demonstrate, explain and reinforce abstract mathematical ideas by using concrete objects, models, charts, graphs, pictures and posters.
It costs 8 lakh rupees to set up a 32-seater mathematics laboratory and 12 lakh rupees to set up a 60-seater lab.
more : ndtv.com