A school boy having his weight measured using a forceplate as he jumps and lands again, and the ‘graphed’ results are displayed
Ever wondered how the Maths we learn at school is used in the workplace?
Perhaps more important have our children thought about how they will use their Maths after they leave school?
This Welsh Government funded project aims to reach over 6000 13 and 14 year olds and provide them with answers.
The Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences (WIMCS) has received further funding from the Welsh Government through the National Science Academy (NSA) to enable the subsidised delivery of its Roadshow ‘Maths Apps’. Working with our main partner Science Made Simple, WIMCS aims to present the Roadshow at 32 Secondary Schools across Wales in 2014.
The 50 minute ‘Maths Apps’ Careers Roadshow was developed with our partners Science Made Simple with EPSRC funding. It is Wales centric and focuses on 5 individuals working in Wales and the jobs they do. In filmed interviews they explain why Maths is important to their work, and the Science Made Simple Roadshow Presenter reinforces the Maths messages in interactive demonstrations that use practical applications of Maths. The jobs are wide-ranging – from running one’s own business, to sports science, to hospital radiology, to developing computer games, to vehicle design.
At a time when the economy needs more qualified young people to pursue careers in scientific, technological and computational areas WIMCS and its partners are convinced that these kinds of initiative are essential. Most people use Maths in their jobs, often without realising it, and Maths is a key part of all scientific careers. It is hoped that the recipe of combining a little bit of Maths fun with some insights into how Maths is used in jobs will encourage students in their Mathematical studies.
The ‘Maths Apps’ show has received very positive feedback and excellent reviews.
Students’ comments include:
- It shows how useful maths is for the future.
- It was fun and informative. Took the subject out of the classroom in a very successful manner. Brilliant!
- Maths is very important and involved in nearly every job
- t’s made me more interested in Maths because I realise that things I want to do when I’m older include Maths
- I realised how important Maths is. I would recommend it to people who hate Maths.
An Independent Evaluator’s Report is available from WIMCS.
The target audience is year 8s and 9s, and schools are invited to apply by contacting Science Made Simple on 02920 876884 as soon as possible, as demand is likely to exceed availability.
