The MOTIVATE Project: Viewpoints of Singapore School Teachers and Students on Their Videoconferencing Experience

Abstract

The MOTIVATE Project uses videoconferencing to provide interaction opportunities between expert users of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and school students. This project is initiated with the aims of enriching students* mathematical experience, broadening their mathematical horizons, giving them an experience of working collaboratively on mathematical tasks with people for whom mathematics plays a significant role in their working lives as well as developing mathematical thinking and communication skills needed in their future lives. Some Singapore primary and secondary school students had the chance to participate in the MOTIVATE project. At the end of the project period, questionnaires were administered to both school students and their teachers to gather feedback about their videoconferencing experience. This paper reports the school students* and their teachers* views on the MOTIVATE project and also considers the possible benefits and pitfalls such a project can bring about to teaching and learning.