App Challenge to help adults learn maths Thursday, December 20, 2012 - 17:29

As part of a major new numeracy initiative in 2013 to take action on adult maths – Maths4us – NIACE is conducting a search for the top maths apps and app developers to create a database of resources which can help adults improve their maths skills.

The App Challenge – for which NIACE will be working in partnership with Horizon Digital Economy Research, led by the University of Nottingham - is an opportunity for app developers to create a whole new range of apps that will help adults improve their maths skills for everyday life.

In the New Year NIACE will be running two events to inform, choose and fund the development of three apps for learners. These apps will need to address a current need in numeracy and be free to download and available to re-develop. They will also need to be playful and/or practical on a day-to-day level and/or useful in classroom situations.

The App Challenge will make a total of £70k available to fund the development of the three applications for mobile devices, web browsers or web platforms, and the public will vote to choose their favourite.

In February 2013, teams (small groups of educationalists, developers and others) will be invited to draw up and present their ideas for funding. Interested individuals without a team will be matched by NIACE accordingly.

Before the App Challenge takes place, and to help develop an understanding of what the current issues and challenges are, NIACE will be holding an event to ‘set the challenge’ in late January. The session will draw together experts, practitioners and learners to identify key needs that the application should address.

Susan Easton, Lead Officer for Digital Learning at NIACE, said:

"The App Challenge will involve teams of enthusiastic amateur and professional developers working with learners and adult learning tutors to develop apps which really help boost adults’ numeracy skills - and the winners will receive some funding to help make that app a reality."

Carol Taylor, Director of Development & Research at NIACE, said:

"We want to engage and enthuse people about maths, as well as support those who may struggle with some aspects of numeracy. We want to know what apps people have used – in the classroom, as a family, in the workplace - which really engage and support people in learning maths. We know, from our Inquiry into Adult Numeracy, that many people felt that adults needed more innovative and flexible ways to learn maths. Apps are just one, but a very important, way of doing that."

The App Challenge will create new numeracy apps, however, NIACE is also interested in the apps people use in their day-to-day life to help them cope with, learn about or even play with numbers. These can be apps that help people budget their weekly spend, measure distance for a journey, book tickets, calculate their calorie intake or even games where they have to constantly work out the right angles.

Susan Easton, ended:

"The options for how, when and where adults learn has changed dramatically over the past few years, and those choices will continue to be more wide-ranging and innovative in the future. Technology is already used to teach numeracy in the classroom, but we want to know how people use it day-to-day. For instance, do people use apps to help them plan journeys, to help them keep fit, to budget their weekly and monthly spend? However you use maths and apps, we want to know."

Further details of the initial challenge-setting day will be announced in the New Year, meanwhile any questions can be sent to mathsapps@niace.org.uk. For more details about the App Challenge – developing a new maths app, or to send details of your favourite maths app, please visit: www.niace.org.uk/maths-apps