Smart rods
Smart rods is a web application that connects to physical tools used to learn mathematics in primary school, in order to help teachers track the progress of their pupils.
Cuisenaire rods are small coloured rods used to represent numbers and mathematical operations. They have proven particularly successful in helping to teach the foundations of mathematics in year 1 and 2 classrooms, by offering a more interactive and enjoyable learning experience to children.
In the recent years researchers have shown growing interest in enhancing education through the use of digital technologies: this project investigates the improvements that software can bring to classroom activities using Cuisenaire rods. Teachers who are familiar with the Cuisenaire method were interviewed in order to formulate design specifications for the application as well as obtain feedback at various stages.
The product was implemented as a web application written in Python & Javascript which communicates with ‘smart’ Cuisenaire rods (physical or virtual). It allows teachers to monitor pupils in real time, and provides statistics on their performance. In the future the application could be extended to support different types of exercises, and converted to a standalone mobile application for children to use at home.