computerbasedmath.org
Witney
Real-world maths is more crucial than ever to our everyday lives. It holds the
keys to unlocking the solutions to a multitude of problems: simple to complex,
local to global, large and small. By contrast, maths education is diverging more
and more from today's and tomorrow's requirements of countries, industry,
further education... and students. Unless we take harder, machine-computed maths
back into the school curriculum, maths in education will continue on its
ineffective downward spiral, destined for future failure—a future populated by
bored and switched-off students, dissatisfied employers, bewildered governments,
frustrated teachers and concerned parents. Aware of the increasing divergence
between school and real-life maths for more than a decade, Conrad Wolfram
believed the growing political impetus, emerging computing ubiquity and
practicality of interface and implementation made 2010 the right time to start
computerbasedmath.org. Conrad and his colleagues at Wolfram Research have been
in a unique position at the epicenter of maths and its applications: using
high-powered maths to develop the latest algorithms for Mathematica and
Wolfram|Alpha software, employing mathematicians and other STEM specialists,
supplying technology to the world's community of maths users and interacting
with leading experts from all technical fields. That's not to mention
involvement with thousands of universities, schools and independent courses
worldwide. Wolfram Research really is the "maths company"—the organisation with
the world's broadest perspective on maths and computation. It is with that
perspective that CBM will change maths education for good. Computerbasedmath.org
is a UK-registered company and aims to be self-supporting in delivering this
fundamental change to maths education worldwide. Early projects have been
established with the Estonian government, as well as in Sweden and Africa, and
there is marked interest from many more governments and associated organisations
like assessment authorities around the world. Thousands of schools are keen to
get materials. Companies are interested not only in employee training but in
associating their brand with better maths in schools. Computer-Based Maths is a
long-term project. Conrad Wolfram believes it will take a minimum of 25 years to
transform school maths worldwide, but that in the end, this change is
inevitable. It will happen differently in each country; the first countries to
make the change will likely gain the most advantage.
