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Teachers > A level Further Mathematics > Using Technology

Using Technology

A level Further Mathematics

Embedding the use of technology in your teaching practice can really boost your students’ learning. Tools that provide dynamic imagery – such as Autograph, Desmos, and GeoGebra – can help your students access mathematical ideas that might be difficult to understand.

Spreadsheets are particularly useful tool for topics that involve modelling or analysing data. As well as assisting your students’ learning, using spreadsheets will help your students develop useful skills for further study, and in their future workplace.

Ofqual requirements and calculators

Ofqual’s GCE subject-level conditions and requirements for Further Mathematics state that “The use of technology, in particular mathematical and statistical graphing tools and spreadsheets, must permeate the study of AS and A level Mathematics.”

These conditions and requirements also state that the calculators used by A level Further Mathematics students must include:

  • an iterative function
  • the ability to perform calculations with matrices up to at least order 3 x 3
  • the ability to compute summary statistics and access probabilities from standard statistical distributions

For A level Further Mathematics, students will need an advanced scientific calculator such as the Casio 991EX ClassWiz or the Texas Instruments TI-30X Pro.

Graphical calculators have the advanced scientific calculator functionality along with the ability to plot the graphs of functions, and so integrating the use of graphical calculators into teaching and learning is an effective way of achieving both of the Ofqual requirements. An alternative approach is for students to use an advanced scientific calculator and also have access to some other graphing tool(s) during their study, such as Autograph, GeoGebra or Desmos.

Integrating technology into your Scheme of Work

You might like to explore these series of student tasks for integrating the use of specific software into your Scheme of Work:

Further Pure with Technology option

Further Pure with Technology (FPT) is an option within the OCR(MEI) A level Further Mathematics specification, which can be studied alongside, or after, the Core Pure content. It builds on and extends students’ knowledge of pure maths through using technology to perform mathematical processes quickly and accurately.

The OCR(MEI) specification allows students to take additional options, with the best scores contributing to their grade, so FPT could be offered as a useful additional option, without committing to it being part of students’ overall mark.

We have helpful, extensive, and free resources to support you in offering FPT to your students.

Special access arrangements

OCR has produced some helpful guidance on the use of technology as part of special access arrangements for mathematics assessment for pupils with specific access needs. This includes how an emulator, or other software such as Autograph, GeoGebra or Desmos, can be used in place of a calculator.

GeoGebra

MEI is a GeoGebra Institute. We support teachers and students by providing:

Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more.

Further support

The choice of which technologies to use is your decision, but we can help you make the best use of them by providing professional development and resources.

Is there room for improvement in the way your department uses technology to support your students of all abilities and at all levels? A one-day course from our technology specialists will make a real difference. If you’d like any advice on using technology in your teaching, please get in touch.