Carleton international students are forging new materials for learning assistance with the creation of an online math tutorial website.
Professor Peggy Hartwick asked her intermediate level English as a Second Language for Academic Purposes (ESLA) students to explore the use of technology for teaching an aspect of their disciplines to their peers. The intention was to strengthen the ability of students to communicate with technology about their majors in English.
Student Frohan Foroutan chose to create a resource to assist students who are learning math in English. “The symbols in math are universal,” Frohan noted, “but the way that you read them is different depending on what language you speak.” The math tutorial website includes resources, games and videos. The website also includes a messenger feature and a sketchpad so that tutors can communicate with the students online. Students will be able to book appointments online and can review from the comfort of their home.
In their advanced ESLA class with Professor Renata de Pourbaix, Frohan, along with two additional students Hong Pham and Ahmad Alkulaih expanded the resource in response to a project asking them to use their combined experiences as language learners and as math students to create a resource to assist others in their situation. Ahmad made a video about the problems he encountered learning calculus at Carleton as a tool for teaching others. This feature further added to the site as a tool for teaching math to learners from a variety of backgrounds.
Get involved!
If you are interested in being involved, the organizers are looking for interested math tutors who would gain credit on their Co-Curricular Record for their time. Students of ESL and their professors are eager to have the website expand to use in other disciplines and are keen to hear from you about getting involved!