STUDENTS at Kingston Primary School can now enhance their mathematical skills while they race a virtual F1 car on their iPad.
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The new program developed in the UK was launched in November last year and Kingston Primary is the only school in Australia to have implemented it.
The software is called Cars and Maths in Motion and is a fun competitive program that incorporates mathematical challenges combined with clever decision making.
Students from years five and six learn to design their own F1 racing cars, while they grasp complex mathematical concepts ready to compete against students all over the world.
“This is an extension enrichment program for students and it makes it a fun way to learn mathematics and physics,” deputy principal Anne Curd said.
If the students do well enough to reach the semi-finals in May, they will be flown to England to compete against other students.
On Friday, February 20, education minister Peter Collier visited the school to see the students use their devices and to hear how the program was going.
The response from the students was very positive and Mr Collier said it was fantastic to see how much the children enjoyed learning maths.
The program has already been used by one million students around the globe and now students can take the device home to program their cars ready for competitions.
“The program is designed to engage students in a different way and make the learning practical rather than straight out of the text books,” Ms Curd said.
Principal Alan Kidd was researching other learning models and went over to Cambridgeshire to consider the benefits before bringing the program to Australia.
There are currently 23 students in the program and as the course develops they hope to offer it to more students.
