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Students inspire young children to have fun with maths

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16.06.2006

Three students from the University of Kent have helped create a series of stimulating web-based games to encourage young children to hone their maths skills.

Titled Sum-Fun, the project is the work of Bethan Hampson-Jones, Danielle Barnetche and Amelia Lew, all of whom are final-year Multimedia Technology and Design students at the University’s Department of Electronics.

Created in conjunction with a professional games developer from Kingsway Green Learning (KG Learning), Sum-Fun is a stress free method of introducing basic maths by using visual guides that enable pupils to better understand how they reach an answer. Pupils also learn by playing games with basic maths themes.

As part of their project, the students visited St Stephen’s Infants school in Canterbury to see first hand how children learn maths before designing the games content, which is both attractive but also appropriate for teaching maths to young people.

Roger Waterton of KG Learning said: ‘The project has been a great success. Bethan, Danielle and Amelia have been very professional in their approach and their creative input has certainly enhanced the project.’

KG Learning plan to launch Sum-Fun online in August. In the meantime, there will be an opportunity to test or see a preview of Sum-Fun at XtremeMedia 06 in the Department of Electronics, 20 – 21 June. This event, Kent’s largest dedicated exhibition for everyone interested in the production and creation of digital media, is free of charge and open to all from 10am to 4pm.

Gary Hughes | Source: alphagalileo
Further information: www.kent.ac.uk/news

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