Digicubes: digital representation for number learning

This match-funded project takes advantage of digital technology to share educational research with a wide international audience of young children and their parents / teachers. The project generates a novel digital number learning resource for young children (3-8yrs) whilst providing their parents and teachers with clear multimedia information about the underlying research. The three project objectives are to program the KE digital tool from a design spec, promote awareness of the tool, and submit a proposal to evaluate and amplify impact.

This project will create, and then widely share, a research-generated digital resource for children aged 3-8 years. The learning tool also includes multimedia information for parents /carers / teachers about the underlying research into how technology changes the way we can represent and manipulate learning tools. The free research-grounded creative learning tool therefore provides a powerful and innovative vehicle to share knowledge about the research with children as well as adults. Subsequent knowledge can easily be shared in the form of app updates.
Development of the digital resource will involve children, parents and teacher focus groups. The resource will then be shared widely through the University (including teacher education), established contacts (e.g. BBC), and further routes (e.g. Times Educational Supplement, Teacher CPD session). A proposal will be written during the project for a formal evaluation of the resource (thereby increasing potential impact/KE opportunities).
Funding (£2,000) has already been allocated in Andrew Manches’ Future Research Leader grant to achieve the more modest aim of sharing fieldwork digital resources. This KE grant will enable Andrew Manches to extend this funding and achieve far greater impact.
Andrew Manches has proven experience in the design of digital learning materials and project managing development work. The resource also offers future revenue possibilities from the addition of specific number games.