The University of Waterloo has launched a new online tool to help students continue their math and computer science education while learning at home.
Developed by Waterloo’s Centre for Education and Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), the tool CEMC at Home includes games, math problems, videos, and other materials to help students with their studies. Ontario’s Ministry of Education has included CEMC at Home in their list of virtual resources for parents and caregivers.
“CEMC at Home was launched to support teachers, students and parents during these challenging times,” said Ian VanderBurgh, director of CEMC. “We are hoping that CEMC at Home and other existing resources on the CEMC website can do their part to ease this transition for everyone.”
CEMC’s content is developed by Waterloo faculty members and retired secondary school teachers and is posted on weekdays. This content is categorized by four grade levels: Grade 4/5/6, Grade 7/8, Grade 9/10, and Grade 11/12. The material can be accessed by returning to the CEMC website daily, or subscribing for email updates.
In addition to CEMC at Home, the centre offers several other resources such as Problem of the Week and courseware. As of March 1, there were more than 38,000 subscriptions to Problem of the Week.
CEMC courseware covers the entire provincial curriculum in Ontario from Grade 7 to 12. It features lessons, interactive activities, enrichment challenges, and opportunities to practice with feedback.
“Many subject areas were quickly searching for reliable online resources when the shutdown was announced, but math departments knew that they already had much of what they need through what CEMC has available,” explained VanderBurgh.
As many students are transitioning to online schooling due to COVID-19 closures, CEMC hopes that their resources will help students achieve academic success.