A computer-assisted learning and teaching software in probability for HKIEd students: Its rationale and implementation

In the forthcoming Hong Kong Primary Mathematics Curriculum to be implemented in 2002, “Probability” will be a new topic to be included in the syllabus. Although most primary school teachers had learnt the basic concepts of probability during their secondary schooling sometime ago, they express their anxiety that they lack experience and confidence in teaching even the basic notions of this new topic. Of course, the lack of suitable teaching aids or Chinese-interfaced computer-assisted learning or teaching materials constitutes another obstacle for overcoming their worries. In order to enhance their confidence in teaching this topic in primary schools, a self-designed computer-assisted learning and teaching program has been implemented to teach the basic probability concepts for both pre-service and in-service teachers studying in The Hong Kong Institute of Education. In this paper, we will discuss how to design and implement such an interactive learning program, using Visual Basic as the programming language. The rationale behind our design and difficulties encountered during the implementation stage will also be discussed. Copyright © 2000 Hong Kong Institute of Education.