Courses Designed and Implemented
Teaching Mathematics with GeoGebra - Technische Universität Darmstadt
Target Audience: This year-long professional development programme was designed for bilingual secondary mathematics teachers in Hessen, Germany.
Objectives:
- To support teachers in integrating digital technologies—particularly GeoGebra—into their mathematics instruction.
- To introduce the use of mathematics learning videos as a complementary teaching tool.
Programme Design and Delivery:
I independently designed and conducted this programme, drawing on both research and practical classroom experience to meet the specific needs of the participants.
Structure:
- The programme consisted of three face-to-face sessions (each three hours long), combined with an online component featuring three self-paced modules.
- Participants were expected to engage with the online modules regularly, with an estimated workload of approximately two hours per week.
Khan Academy Localisation Project – Sri Lanka (2013–2014)
Project Title: Learning from e-Learning: Testing Intelligent Learning Systems in South Asian Countries
Funded by: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
In 2013, I led a national pilot project focused on localising Khan Academy's mathematics video content for Sri Lankan classrooms. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the project aimed to test the potential of intelligent, computer-aided learning systems to improve student achievement in mathematics within a developing country context.
As the representative of the National Institute of Education (NIE), Sri Lanka, I successfully led the procurement process and won the competitive bid to implement this project.
As consultant and team leader, I coordinated a multi-disciplinary team comprising subject specialists, translators, narrators, and technical staff. Our primary tasks included:
- Mapping Khan Academy's mathematics video content to the Sri Lankan Grade 9 and 10 curricula
- Translating and dubbing the videos into Sinhala and Tamil
- Developing original tutorial videos to address content gaps
By mid-2014, just before I left to begin my PhD studies, we had:
- Localised and uploaded 135 Grade 9 videos (80 newly developed, 55 dubbed) to Google Drive
- Created a teacher guidance map-book to help schools integrate the videos effectively
- Produced and shared DVDs containing all translated materials
Additional progress by the project team included:
- 140 Grade 10 videos uploaded (54 developed, 86 dubbed)
- Initial work on Grade 8 content, with 25% completed by March 2014
This project provided valuable insights into the integration of digital learning tools in public education systems and laid the groundwork for broader ICT-based innovation in mathematics education in Sri Lanka.
Training of Trainers for Untrained Mathematics Teachers in Sri Lanka – 2014
This professional development (PD) initiative was designed and implemented by the Department of Mathematics at the National Institute of Education (NIE), in collaboration with the Mathematics Branch of the Ministry of Education. I was responsible for designing the programme and leading its implementation.
The overarching aim of the initiative was to build the capacity of trainers who would, in turn, support untrained mathematics teachers across Sri Lanka. The specific objectives of the programme were to:
- Train 120 Sinhala-medium trainers
- Train 60 Tamil-medium trainers
- Empower these trainers to deliver professional development to untrained mathematics teachers within their respective provinces
- Update trainers on contemporary pedagogical methods and the integration of Digital Technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics
Programme Content Highlights:
- Strategic questioning to facilitate deep learning and cognitive engagement in mathematics education
- Thematic instructional design to support interdisciplinary and contextualised learning
- Formative and summative assessment strategies to inform instruction and support student learning
- Differentiated instruction based on learners' developmental and conceptual readiness
- Integration of digital technologies to enhance mathematical understanding and classroom practice
- Professional noticing and reflective practice using video-based lesson analysis
- Designing effective instructional tools and artefacts for teacher resource materials
As part of the implementation, we conducted six on-site, four-day PD programmes across the country. In total, 150 Sinhala-medium trainers and 60 Tamil-medium trainers from all nine provinces were successfully trained.