by Fahd Khan
SRINAGAR: Abid Fayaz and Danish Mushtaq, class 12 students, have developed a model to make mathematics learning easy.
The working model resembles the shape of a wooden box with angles marked on it and operates both in an online and offline mode by connecting it to the mobile phone application, which is further connected to a Wireless Local Area Network.
The application provides a variety of options related to the properties of angles like corresponding angles, opposite angles etc. The model works by highlighting the angles on the board when a user selects any option in the application. This model will give students a better understanding of the properties of the angles, especially for middle and high school level students.
The duo are themselves students of twelfth class at the Boys Higher Secondary School Zainakote with mathematics as the main subject.
“Since childhood, I struggled with mathematics and could never understand concepts like angles and triangles. However, in eighth grade, something changed and I began to enjoy the subject. I attribute this to my math’s teacher, who helped me understand the fundamentals of the subject so that by the time I reached class ten, I was more proficient than ever,” Abid Fayaz said.
“Maths being a non-practical subject and triangles being the toughest chapter at the school level is the real reason why many students fear the subject. This is where the idea of model piqued in my mind,” he said.
Abid was always inclined towards science and innovation. He says he has always been interested in doing something unique.
However, the journey of developing this model wasn’t smooth as they had to face multiple rejections. It took the duo two years to make the final product and they are still working on the product to make it better.
“We shared the idea with our teachers at our school. They motivated us to participate in the science exhibition where we showcased the basic version of our model for the first time,” said Abid, adding, “Initially I started to use this model for teaching my cousins and the outcomes were good. This is where we decided to make it better and modify it as it can help the students to learn maths better. Danish helped me equally throughout my journey.”
It is pertinent to mention that during an event of the Jammu and Kashmir State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the duo was appreciated by the Union Territory government for their efforts in creating this mathematical model. The duo also presented the model at DIET Srinagar where they were appreciated for their work.
