The Extent, Nature and Effectiveness of Planned Approaches in ...

Beardon, Jared, and Way (1999) describe the evaluation of an online mathematical enrichmentprogrammes in the United Kingdom, the NRICH Internet Project. This programme provides gifted andtalented students with enrichment and learning support, but also provides teachers with advice,inservice training, and resources. Additionally, university students provide peer-assistance via anelectronic answering service. The writers report that though this service is based in Cambridge, itprovides services to students worldwide, and in 1999 they estimated 3,000 registered members from62 different countries. The evaluation reports little in relation to outcomes for students, but the one‘gem’ reported is shining – of the 46 teacher respondents to their survey, 91% responded that theNRICH problems had improved students’ problem solving skills.A small scale, descriptive study of gifted mathematics students in Bulgaria who participated in acorrespondence course via ‘snail mail’ also demonstrated positive gains in student outcomes (Lazarov& Tabov, 1995). The students took part in a programme of correspondence which centred aroundproblem-solving, whereby students received problems, submitted their responses, and were givenfeedback. The authors report that the students showed gains not only mathematically, but also in theircommunication skills.Potential Strengths• Allows students opportunities to interact with like-minded peers (Adams & Cross, 1999/2000;Bailey, 1998; McKinnon & Nolan, 1999; Urban, 2003), and in virtual instruction, as part of acommunity of learners (Belcastro, 2002; Harrison, 2003).• Access to creative teaching (Bailey, 1998) whereby teachers act in the role of facilitator oflearning (Adams & Cross, 1999/2000). Online teachers can concentrate on specialised areas ofstudy and develop these to advanced levels (Wilson et al., 1997).• Provides a wider range of courses otherwise unavailable because of low student enrolments orlack of teacher expertise, especially in advanced areas of study (Adams & Cross, 1999/2000;Wilson et al., 1997).• Can allow students early entry into courses (i.e., acceleration) or allow students opportunitiesfor enrichment (Northwestern University Center for Talent Development, 2003).• Can be integrated with inexpensive professional development via the Internet, assuring someconnection with the regular classroom and enhancement of teaching (Wilson et al., 1997).• Gifted and talented students can be exposed to experts in the field (McKinnon & Nolan, 1999;Urban, 2003; Wilson et al., 1997), and given access to ideas, information, and peopleotherwise inaccessible (Adams & Cross, 1999/2000; Lee, 2001).• Can facilitate team teaching, whereby, for example, one teacher may focus on the content andanother on the technological aspects (Wilson et al., 1997; Riley & Brown, 1997).• Can be undertaken in the student’s own time, granting students the freedom to decide when tostudy and at their own pace (Bailey, 1998; Harrison, 2003; Northwestern University Center forTalent Development, 2003; Urban, 2003) and even in their own homes (Ravaglia, Suppes,Stillinger, & Alper, 1994).• Opportunities for student individualisation through level of instruction and pace of delivery(Adams & Cross, 1999/2000; Harrison, 2003; Le Seuer, 2002; Ravaglia, 1995; Ravaglia et al.,1994; Smith, 2000), and can also facilitate group work (Urban, 2003).• Students who are accelerated via distance learning opportunities are not faced with thephysical awkwardness of attending classes with older students (Ravaglia et al., 1994).• Students who are shy, or have barriers created by learning, physical or language difficulties,can more easily take part in discussions because they have time to reflect upon and prepare122