QUT University and Rio Tinto Music and Mathematics (JAMATH)

​https://research.qut.edu.au/ydc/projects/jam-music-and-mathematics-jamath/

Project dates: 01/01/2011 - 30/06/2016

This innovative project integrates mathematics and music with the aim of improving students’ mathematics understanding. The project is a collaboration between YDC and music group Join Australian Music (JAM).

The project involves maths-music lessons that are built around maths-music workshops. YDC provides professional development and instructional material to prepare teachers for conducting maths-music lessons, using music contexts to look at the maths topics of number, fraction, patterning, measurement and shape. The music contexts are used as both real-world authentic instances of mathematics and as a starting point and motivation for mathematics exploration.

JAM provides professional musicians to facilitate maths-music workshops covering, for example, song writing, instrument building and sound engineering.

JAMATH has been successfully piloted in several state schools in Queensland. The first pilot was funded by a QUT Engagement Innovation Grant in 2011–12 and involved trials in four Brisbane schools. A second pilot, funded by Rio Tinto Coal Australia’s Kestrel Aboriginal Community Development Fund, ran at a central Queensland school in 2014. A poster and conference paper on the first JAMATH pilot project were presented at the Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance ‘Next Steps’ conference held at QUT from 9–11 July 2012.