Hoyles, Celia; Noss, Richard; Kent, Phillip; Bakker, Arthur; (2006) Techno-mathematical Literacies and Functional Mathematics 14-19. In: Brown, Alan and Pollard, Andrew, (eds.) 14-19 education and training: a commentary by the Teaching and Learning Research Programme. (pp. 42-45). Teaching and Learning Research Programme: London, UK.

Preview

Text (Hoyles2006Techno-mathematical.pdf) Hoyles2006Techno-mathematical.pdf - Other Download (101kB) | Preview

Abstract

The TLRP project on Techno-mathematical Literacies (TmL) is investigating the combinations of mathematical, statistical and technological skills that people need in workplaces. We focus on employees at ―intermediate‖ skill level, typically non-graduates with A-level qualifications or equivalent who may be working in service industry (such as banking) as sales agents or customer enquiry agents, or in manufacturing industry as skilled operators or supervisory managers. This research follows on from the Mathematical Skills in the Workplace project (Hoyles et al, 2002) which promoted the idea of ―mathematical literacy‖ as a growing necessity for successful performance in the workplace. In the current project, we are using the term ―Techno-mathematical Literacies‖ (TmL) as a way of characterising mathematics as it exists in modern, increasingly IT-based workplace practices (see for example, Kent et al, 2005). The reason we felt the need for a new term is first to avoid the baggage which goes along with the disputed term ―numeracy‖ that pervades educational discussion of mathematics; second to indicate that the mathematics involved is much more than basic arithmetic; and third to avoid the apparently simple term ―mathematics‖ for which many people in companies, both managers and shopfloor employees, may have prejudices based on their school and later life experiences. Beyond this, we are convinced that the idea of literacy is really helpful: individuals need to be able to understand and use mathematics as a language which will increasingly pervade the workplace through ITbased control and administration systems as much as conventional literacy (reading and writing) has pervaded working life for the last century. This language exists in the form of computer inputs and outputs (textual and graphical) that have to be composed and interpreted.

Download activity - last month

Export as JSONCSVXML

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as XMLCSVJSON

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as JSONCSVXML

Archive Staff Only

View Item