Member of UOIT's Faculty of Science represents Canada at International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics
March 2, 2007
Organizers of a recent prestigious international conference turned to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and its leading-edge learning environment last month, when they extended their first-ever invitation to have a Canadian representative sit on a panel to discuss the utilization of technology to teach mathematics.
Ilona Kletskin, a mathematics faculty member with UOIT's Faculty of Science, represented Canada at the 19th Annual International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics (ICTCM), held February 15 to 18 in Boston, Massachusetts. For the past 10 years, the conference has hosted an international panel discussion on the incorporation of technology into the teaching of mathematics at the postsecondary level.
"I was quite excited to represent not only UOIT, but also the entire country," said Kletskin. "That was quite an honour and it gave me a great opportunity to highlight UOIT's own experiences with technology. The other panelists were fascinated to learn about all the great things happening here on campus."
As a panel member, Kletskin was expected to give a comprehensive portrait of the technology being used in Canada to teach mathematics, from the elementary to postsecondary levels. In Canada, where each province and territory has its own education system, it was no easy task to prepare for her presentation. Phone calls to ministries of education and educators across the country helped Kletskin research the technologies available, how they are employed in the classroom, students' reactions to their use, and insights into initiatives proposed for the future.
"Although everyone at UOIT incorporates technology into their daily lives and technology provides the core foundation of our innovative approach to academic life, when I travel away from campus I learn that it's not the same everywhere else. Few other universities offer students and faculty access to the state-of-the-art technology implemented at UOIT. To begin with, it's quite impressive that we are a laptop university. The fact that we exclusively teach with tablet computers in the Faculty of Science is also very exciting, because it's a new way of teaching math," Kletskin added.
During her time at the conference, Kletskin also presented a paper on the use of MapleTA, recently developed interactive software used at UOIT that allows the preparation of self-learning and testing material for students in mathematics and mathematics-related subjects. MapleTA offers a wealth of question types, not just multiple-choice and true or false. The questions are algorithmically-generated, so they differ slightly each time that they are given to each student. Students can navigate through various difficulty levels, ensuring they maximize their skills. Kletskin has used MapleTA to develop diagnostic tests for incoming first-year students, and for regular quizzing, testing and self-study in UOIT's calculus and algebra tutorials.
"Ilona is a leader when it comes to incorporating technology into her teaching, and she was a natural choice to represent Canada at the ICTCM," said Dr. William Smith, dean of the Faculty of Science. "Her innovative use of the tablet computer and the breadth of interactive software she has developed for use in her classes, including her pioneering work with MapleTA, is exactly the type of high-tech teaching that will define successful and leading institutions in the decades to come. Her passion for mathematics and teaching has greatly impacted the quality of learning for UOIT students and her contributions at the international conference were extremely valuable and well-received."
Kletskin has delivered several other conference papers on the use of technology in teaching since coming to UOIT in 2004. In 2006, she received the prestigious UOIT Teaching Award for Complementary Faculty, which recognizes an individual who has significantly enhanced the quality of learning for students through innovation and commitment.
Ilona Kletskin, a mathematics faculty member with UOIT's Faculty of Science, represented Canada at the 19th Annual International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics (ICTCM), held February 15 to 18 in Boston, Massachusetts. For the past 10 years, the conference has hosted an international panel discussion on the incorporation of technology into the teaching of mathematics at the postsecondary level.
"I was quite excited to represent not only UOIT, but also the entire country," said Kletskin. "That was quite an honour and it gave me a great opportunity to highlight UOIT's own experiences with technology. The other panelists were fascinated to learn about all the great things happening here on campus."
As a panel member, Kletskin was expected to give a comprehensive portrait of the technology being used in Canada to teach mathematics, from the elementary to postsecondary levels. In Canada, where each province and territory has its own education system, it was no easy task to prepare for her presentation. Phone calls to ministries of education and educators across the country helped Kletskin research the technologies available, how they are employed in the classroom, students' reactions to their use, and insights into initiatives proposed for the future.
"Although everyone at UOIT incorporates technology into their daily lives and technology provides the core foundation of our innovative approach to academic life, when I travel away from campus I learn that it's not the same everywhere else. Few other universities offer students and faculty access to the state-of-the-art technology implemented at UOIT. To begin with, it's quite impressive that we are a laptop university. The fact that we exclusively teach with tablet computers in the Faculty of Science is also very exciting, because it's a new way of teaching math," Kletskin added.
During her time at the conference, Kletskin also presented a paper on the use of MapleTA, recently developed interactive software used at UOIT that allows the preparation of self-learning and testing material for students in mathematics and mathematics-related subjects. MapleTA offers a wealth of question types, not just multiple-choice and true or false. The questions are algorithmically-generated, so they differ slightly each time that they are given to each student. Students can navigate through various difficulty levels, ensuring they maximize their skills. Kletskin has used MapleTA to develop diagnostic tests for incoming first-year students, and for regular quizzing, testing and self-study in UOIT's calculus and algebra tutorials.
"Ilona is a leader when it comes to incorporating technology into her teaching, and she was a natural choice to represent Canada at the ICTCM," said Dr. William Smith, dean of the Faculty of Science. "Her innovative use of the tablet computer and the breadth of interactive software she has developed for use in her classes, including her pioneering work with MapleTA, is exactly the type of high-tech teaching that will define successful and leading institutions in the decades to come. Her passion for mathematics and teaching has greatly impacted the quality of learning for UOIT students and her contributions at the international conference were extremely valuable and well-received."
Kletskin has delivered several other conference papers on the use of technology in teaching since coming to UOIT in 2004. In 2006, she received the prestigious UOIT Teaching Award for Complementary Faculty, which recognizes an individual who has significantly enhanced the quality of learning for students through innovation and commitment.
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