Teachers tell us how they approach the freedom of transition year.

Anne Clarke, St Andrew's College, Booterstown, Co Dublin

"Transition year gives the students at our school a chance to experience maths in new ways. Even though most of the students will have decided whether to take honours or ordinary-level maths for the Leaving, we like to give them a taste of all levels and of other mathematical subject areas, such as applied maths. Using maths in applied settings and finding practical applications for maths theories is something that many students never get a chance to do.

"We have also developed an extra model on encryption for transition-year maths students, which allows them to get a feel for the kind of encrypted coding that computer scientists create. Of course, we only deal with the subject at a very basic level, but it still gives the students a new aspect on the use of maths in the real world.

"There are aspects of the ordinary-level syllabus that honours students miss, such as linear programming. Linear programming has a very practical application in business, where it can be used in the calculation of the potential profitability of one product over another. Business analysts can use the linear-programming method to maximise their profits. Honours maths students won't encounter this type of calculation on the Leaving Cert course, so we give them a flavour of it in transition year.

"The central focus of the year for many transition-year students is a project they carry out using mathematical theory to produce practical results. With our help the students select a project that utilises their learning. This year, for example, a student is calculating the probability of encountering faulty switching when developing a lighting system for a dorm. Other students are collecting and analysing data on subjects of interest to them.

"Many of our students find their project topics by searching the Internet and discovering what maths students are doing at university level. Many American colleges, such as the University of Columbia, provide the students with good ideas for practical maths applications.

"We also use transition year as an opportunity to consolidate the skills of weaker students who did not perform well in the subject at Junior Cert. By building up their confidence in the subject they can take on the senior-cycle programme on a surer footing. We enjoy the scope that transition year gives us to explore with students aspects of maths that they would not have time for in the senior cycle."