The Maths Fix Campaign for Core Computational Curriculum Change (MFC⁵)

The Math(s) Fix outlines the fundamental changes needed for maths education. It includes this call for everyone to agree on the main principles for the reform. Sign up to the campaign here.

I am signing up to this campaign because I recognise that the current maths curriculum is not the core computational subject needed for the future, and that instead it must be built on these five principles.

What Can I Do Now?

Given the position the world is in today, what's actionable for you now given your role?

Students (Including Adults)

• Watch our intro talk, then try our self-study computational thinking resource.

• Learn how to apply and practise the four-step problem-solving process on problems you encounter.

• Learn a computational thinking language.

• Check for Wolfram or other certifications in computational thinking or CBM.

• Ask your instructor for computational thinking courses.

Teachers

• Watch our intro talk, then try our self-study computational thinking resource.

• Try out a CBM module with your class. Link it with a particular topic in the current curriculum to deepen understanding.

• Download and display the Computational Thinking Poster. Use it to introduce the four-step process as a method of quantitative problem-solving. No matter what the age, practise the process on every problem encountered.

• Create an after-school computational thinking club; give students open-ended projects to develop their problem-solving skills.

• Ask students to take a topic from any subject they are studying and suggest ideas for applying computational thinking to it. For example, history, geography, business, etc.

• Request computational thinking/CBM qualifications from your examination provider.

Parents

• Additional to student and teacher actions.

• Ask your child to apply the four-step problem-solving process to a problem they encounter.

• Apply to your own profession: can I apply computational thinking to law, plumbing, marketing, medicine...?

• Ask your child's teacher and their head teacher what they are doing to prepare students for computational thinking.

College/University

• Offer a transition program for students from today's school curriculum to degree-level for computational thinking.

• Integrate a computational thinking strand to all courses that involve problem-solving, data analysis, modelling, quantitative skills, etc.

• Create a role for a lead person to develop innovative practice in computational thinking across the institution.

• Work with employers to develop computational thinking aspects tailored to their specific needs.

Policymakers

• Email contact@themathsfix.org to open a dialogue with us.

• Commission a report into the provision for computational thinking within your current curriculum.

• Assemble a pilot group to be trained in computational thinking.

• Organise a conference on computational thinking in education.

• Change your exams system to allow the use of computers in assessments, both for projects and tests, so that computational thinking and computer-based maths can form part of standard assessments.

• Fund a pilot computational thinking project in schools to provide ready-to-use interactive materials leading to certification.

• Get your Minister to read this book!

Employers

• Offer, or include in your induction process, a training programme for computational thinking skills that are relevant to roles in your organisation.

• Commission a review into the requirements for computational thinking skills within your organisation.

• Integrate computational thinking skills into your recruitment process.

• Engage with universities and schools to encourage computational thinking as a pre-employment skill.

• Engage with trade associations and accreditation bodies to share the benefits and impact of workforce computational thinking skills.

Everyone

• Join The Maths Fix Campaign for Core Computational Curriculum Change (MFC5).

• Join our CBM community.

• Encourage others to read this book!