Three research projects will use advanced technologies to improve learning.  They are: 

Science

Professor Mike Sharples of the University of Nottingham and Professor Eileen Scanlon of the Open University will lead a project to develop new ways of teaching 11-14 year olds. It will involve developing, testing and improving new designs for personal computers that support science learning between schools, homes and discovery centres.
 
Mathematics

A group led by Professor Richard Noss  at the London Knowledge Lab (Institute of Education and Birkbeck) will be using technology to support teachers in encouraging 11-14 year-old students to create mathematical generalisations. The idea of generalisation is notoriously difficult for students, with the result that students routinely find themselves unable to understand what mathematics is about. The project aims to address this by building - together with teachers - computer tools that simultaneously support mathematical expression and collaboration.
 
Dentistry

Professor Margaret Cox of King’s College London’s Dental Institute (and Department of Education and Professional Studies) will lead a group using IT to improve the skills of future dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses. The team will develop haptic, or touch-based methods using a “virtual mouth”. At first it will be a real structure, which students work on with a robotic arm in front of a computer screen which provides feedback to their actions. Later on, the actions will be simulated through the use of the mouse and a Web-based environment so that more students can benefit from this innovative learning experience.
 
Professor Cox says: “As well as not needing patients in the earlier stages of training, this approach allows students to practice a technique as often as they need without embarrassment and apprehension when treating real patients. We will refine the methods as the project proceeds and similar haptic technology will also be able to be used in the future to help train doctors and veterinary surgeons.”
 
Professor Andrew Pollard, Director of TLRP, said: “These important projects will help to ensure that future developments are based in excellent research and really do contribute to improved learning.”

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