In reality, simulation is key to math education, says Stanford mathematician

"The textbook is perhaps the worst possible medium for teaching mathematics," says Stanford mathematician Keith Devlin.

A massively multiplayer online game requiring players to employ mathematical concepts could revolutionize the teaching of mathematics at the middle school level, according to Stanford mathematician Keith Devlin. That’s the age when math and science proficiency plummets among U.S. students. Devlin says the game project would be so complex and expensive that the federal government would likely have to spearhead it. But, he said, a pilot project showed such a game would be doable.

BY LOUIS BERGERON

Full Story: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/february15/devlin-aaas-mathematics-021910.html