Features and advantages of WME: A Web-based mathematics education system

An ongoing project creates a Web-based mathematics education (WME) system by an innovative combination of standard Web technologies. WME delivers classroom-ready lessons that are well-prepared, interesting, effective, as well as interoperable. Lesson pages contain easy to use special-purpose manipulatives to help students understand and explore mathematical concepts and skills through hands-on activities. Manipulatives are parameterized for easy customization and object-oriented for interoperability. Mathematics-oriented chat and bulletin boards facilitate communication and discussion. Additional features enable teachers to easily tailor lessons to suit the needs of their classes, to create and conduct assessments, and to help students overcome difficulties. A pilot project puts WME through in-class trials with a prototype site, a step towards a model WME site that can be easily deployed to different schools. WME has many advantages and the potential to create a Web for mathematics education, to foster a new paradigm for supporting and delivering mathematics education, and to help mathematics curricula improve exponentially.