Mathematical Studies SL Curriculum Review

1. Mathematical Studies SL Curriculum Review Page 1

2. Principles of DP Curriculum Reviews • collaborative, working with teachers, examiners, consultants and IBCA staff • surveying teacher opinion via questionnaires on OCC • supported by the assessment division • reporting to the diploma review committee • aware of the impact of a subject or group review on the hexagon as a whole • scheduled on a seven year review cycle

3. 7 YEAR REVIEW CYCLE Key: IY – investigation year R1 – first year of subject review T1 – first year of new course Tr – teacher training year

4. Outcomes of the curriculum review • new guides published March-June 2012 • new TSM material available May 2012 • specimen papers available May 2012 • subject specific workshops throughout 2012 • begin teaching September 2012 • first exams May 2014 • last exams Nov 2020

5. Profile of participants • participants from each IB region • a mix of publicly funded / privately funded schools • gender balance • a mix of experienced and relatively new teachers • representative senior examiners • representatives of the three IB working languages (though meetings are normally held in English).

6. Group 5 Review Progress • whole group 5 review • initial group 5 questionnaire to schools in July 07 • all group 5 meeting in October 07 • subject specific questionnaires • two subject specific meetings each year • one IA meeting in Cardiff each year

7. Aims of meeting • To consider the subject specific questionnaire results • To produce relevant syllabi for our students which will be of use to them during their diploma studies, through university and beyond • To produce a syllabus full of practical applications to everyday life and to their other diploma subjects • To ensure that all the mathematical recommendations from the other diploma subjects were included

8. Reports on the OCC • After every meeting a report is produced and published on the OCC for teachers. Comments are invited from teachers as the review progresses. • Report on MSSL April 2010 • Report on SL and HL April 2010

9. Group 5 aims and links • Diploma-wide issues, TOK (including ethical implications), and international mindedness have been addressed in the new group 5 aims • A column in the new syllabus provides useful links to these aims. APPL- real life examples and links to other diploma subjects Aim 8- moral, social and ethical implications Int- international mindedness TOK- suggestions for discussion

10. Assessment model for MSSL • The meetings recommended to retain the current assessment model for Mathematical Studies SL

11. Notes on the assessment model • Paper 1 would remain as it is with 15 short questions worth 6 marks. • Paper 2 would become 6 longer questions each worth approximately 15 marks. • Both papers would be graded in difficulty within the question and the paper.

12. Syllabus outline for MSSL

13. Summary of changes in MSSL • Topic 1-Introduction to GDC was moved to presumed knowledge as in practice this is intrinsic in the teaching of each topic. Extra time was given to certain topics to allow for this. • Topic 6- Statistics. This topic was split into two parts – descriptive and applications. Normal distribution was included. • Topic 8- Financial mathematics was subsumed into Number and algebra. Simple interest was excluded. Compound interest was included as an application of a geometric series.

14. Summary of changes continued… • Topic 4 -Functions has been rewritten and renamed ‘Mathematical models’. The aim of this topic is to develop an understanding of some mathematical functions that can be used to model practical situations. • The project was retained with some changes in the assessment criteria. It was also recommended to increase the teaching hours spent on the project up to 25.

15. Specimen papers • A set of papers has been produced to reflect the changes in the syllabus.

16. IA Meeting Recommendations Current form of project was retained but the criteria were reviewed • A- increased to 3 marks to give credit to those students who provide a detailed plan which is followed • B- if information collected from a secondary source eg internet, there must be evidence of sampling for full marks to be awarded where appropriate • C- rewritten to ensure that simple mathematical processes were completed before any further processes were attempted.

17. Recommendations continued…. • C- Any calculations performed using technology only would be considered as a simple process. At least one further process must be calculated showing full working. • D- no major changes • E- reduced to maximum of one mark • F- Notation and terminology removed • G- commitment criteria was removed and replaced by Notation and terminology

18. The new TSM • plenty of exemplar student work marked according to new criteria • Links to exemplars for each achievement level on each criterion • new interactive document with annotated projects to indicate clearly why and where certain marks have been awarded. See ESS new TSM • teacher guidance written for teachers by teachers. • examples of mini projects • a ‘common pitfalls’ section with exemplars

19. Mathematics SL

20. Summary of changes in Mathematics SL • Assessment model unchanged • Matrices excluded • Regression and correlation included • Integration by substitution included

21. Mathematics HL

22. Summary of changes in Mathematics HL • Assessment model unchanged • Matrices excluded moved to new topic Linear Algebra in Further Mathematics • Option increased to 48 hours, core reduced by 8

23. Further Mathematics SL- the future • Further Mathematics SL an anomaly in the diploma • Further Mathematics SL to be replaced by a new higher level Further Mathematics course modeled on the existing SL course • Six topics of 48 hours = 240 hours as one will be taught as part of HL course. • Four existing options to become 48 hours plus geometry and a new topic – linear algebra

24. Further mathematics HL- the new course • Statistics, Sets and Discrete to remain broadly as they are at present but augmented to make 48 hours • Series will be renamed ‘Calculus’ and be less series-based • Geometry ‘topic’ in Further Mathematics will be augmented from 30 to 48 hours. The additional content is less abstract and more accessible while still demanding. • Linear algebra will include an introduction to matrices (excluded from core) and extended to look at vector spaces and applications to geometry.

25. Further mathematics HL

26. Problems with present IA portfolio • Investigations should arise out of classroom experience as topics are introduced not be generated by the IB • Teachers reluctant to produce their own tasks due to perceived problems with moderation • Teachers reluctant to share their own developed tasks with the IB as then they would have a limited shelf life • Plagiarism and the perception of plagiarism

27. Mathematics SL/HL IA- Mathematical Exploration • The mathematical exploration is a written submission, which will address one or more of the group 5 aims , 6-9 which cannot be assessed in examinations. • The intended audience is their mathematics class. • The emphasis is on communication by means of mathematical forms (e.g. formulae, diagrams, graphs etc) with accompanying commentary. • A list of stimuli may or may not be provided.

28. The new TSM • exemplar student work marked according to new criteria • guidance on marking ‘explorations’ written for teachers by teachers. • examples of mind maps from given stimuli

29. Draft criteria • Communication • Mathematical Context • Mathematical Presentation • Personal Engagement • Reflection • Mathematical Sophistication ( HL only) • For more details see Report on SL and HL April 2010