Independent Evaluations by Teachers using Sketchpad

These detailed reports were independently commissioned by three UK evaluation services. They report teachers actual experiences of installing, using and benefitting from the use of The Geometer's Sketchpad.

"The Geometer’s Sketchpad is a tool for demonstrating and investigating geometric and algebraic problems in mathematics lessons. It can be used for guided investigation (where students use the software in small groups and are given an initial task to complete and then challenged to explore further), open-ended investigation (where students use the software directly) and teacher demonstration. This dynamic geometry software for key stage 3 and 4 students offers lesson ideas, students’ worksheets and support materials. There are also useful training sessions to teach the basic elements of the software. Younger or less able students should find it liberating to have the package draw and measure for them. By using Sketchpad to complete time-consuming mechanical tasks such as drawing circles and measuring their circumference, all students will have more time to investigate the properties of the shapes eg the relationship between the length of the radius and the circumference." .For full review see here

TEEM Evaluation Service Review

Key Stage 3 Review by Peter Halfpenny

"Throughout the Key Stage 3 Numeracy Strategy there are many Shape and Space objectives that can be addressed by using this program. During the four-week evaluation period the software kept the students engaged and brought Geometry to life. In conclusion, I feel this software is an essential resource for any Secondary Mathematics Department.'

"The visual approach of Geometer's Sketchpad allowed the students to easily change aspects of their construction and look at the resulting mathematical relationships and generalisations. In practice, my Year 7 students constructed triangles and quadrilaterals and the software measured individual angles and sides, together with the sum of the angles. The software then enabled the students to change the lengths of the sides of the plane shapes on their screens. It was possible for the students to generalise about the mathematical relationships of their constructions, for example, the sum of the interior angles of a quadrilateral is equal to 360 degrees.

"I found that when Geometer's Sketchpad is used in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard it becomes an extremely powerful demonstration tool. However, when the software is used by pupils with individual computers then the software is even more powerful, since the program allows the teacher to create guided discovery lessons in which the students produce mathematical relationships and generalisations." For full review see here.

Key Stage 3 Review by Linda Culm

"It is difficult to fault Geometer's Sketchpad in terms of its design and flexibility and it is a valuable creative tool for students and teachers. Teachers will also find it invaluable as an explanatory presentational tool for teaching purposes. Geometer's Sketchpad has additional cross-curricular possibilities and I would recommend it as a worthwhile whole-school resource. For full review see here.

Schoolzone Evaluation Service Review

Review by Emma Knights

"The Geometer's Sketchpad is a dynamic geometry package that allows students (and teachers) to explore constructions and 3D images. The Key Stage 3 strategy and new GCSE specifications emphasise the idea of proofs in geometrical work and Sketchpad provides a demonstration tool and a learning tool for students to explore figures and understand their properties. Sketchpad software allows the user to create and then manipulate points and lines on screen. Some points and lines may be freely moveable, but others can be created to be in a geometric relationship to these, such as the midpoint of a line, a line parallel to another line or a perpendicular bisector of another line. Such relationships are maintained consistently when points are moved.

"For example, using the software with a key stage 3 class, students can be asked to construct a triangle, and then drag one corner of the triangle and asked to comment on what they notice. In this way students can see for themselves that the sum of the angles in a triangle is 180 degrees. This work can then be extended and students can be asked to draw right angled, equilateral and isosceles triangles and explore the properties of those triangles. All this can be done without the need of pencil and paper constructions, which some students find difficult to do accurately and the task can be focussed on learning about the properties of triangles rather than getting caught up in the physical production of drawings.

"The software comes with a range of helpful teaching accessories - a comprehensive reference manual, quick reference guides and booklets containing 101 project ideas. The software itself is easy to use and has a range of uses in the classroom from key stage 3 pupils all the way up to A level." For full review see here.