Applications and Interpretations Standard Level

Students who choose to do the AISL course:

• are interested in developing their mathematics for describing our world and solving practical problems;

• are interested in using technology to help explore mathematical models;

• enjoy mathematics best when seen in a real world context;

• may be considering further study in a subject that does not require mathematics, or is considering a subject in the social sciences such as Psychology.

Whilst there are certain topics in the course that students will have encountered before, all content areas of the AISL course are explicitly taught and students are given the opportunity to develop any prior knowledge skills in the context of the course.

There is an emphasis in the AISL course on using technology, in particular the graphical display calculator, to help solve problems, so students will need to develop good skills in using this piece of equipment. Students will be shown many of the functions that the calculator can do, but an interest in exploring further is certainly beneficial.

Whilst we take every case on an individual level, there are some general guidelines on prior qualifications for entry to the AISL course. These are based on the fact that on average, those students who do not attain these grades do not do as well in the AISL course.

GCSE - suggested minimum grade is 5.

MYP Standard Level - suggested minimum grade is 4.

MYP Extended Level - not considered an appropriate course for those that studied at this level.

For external candidates we also require completion of a short test for use to see the level of your algebra skills in order to suggest the best course.

There is no direct comparison between IB DP Mathematics courses and A-Level mathematics, and this is particularly true of the AISL course. Some aspects of the AISL course only appear in the Further Statistics part of A-Level Further Maths, but the approach to questions is very different (AISL has a focus on using technology to answer the questions). Other aspects of the AISL course are not on A-Level Mathematics at all (e.g. Voronoi diagrams).

Over the course of two years, students will study a variety of mathematical ideas which are broadly grouped by the IB into 5 topics:

1. Number and Algebra

2. Functions

3. Geometry and Trigonometry

4. Statistics and Probability

5. Calculus

At Europa we split this into 6 units across the two years. Whist the more difficult topics do come towards the end of the course, it is worth noting that there is challenging content from the start of the course.

The six units are:

1. Number and Algebra

2. Statistics

3. Geometry and Trigonometry

4. Functions

5. Calculus

6. Probability

Below you will find a copy of the overview of the two year AISL course. Please note that the timeframe is given as an approximation, and we might not stick exactly to those topics in those weeks. There are many things that can affect this, and the teacher will use their professional judgement to adjust the curriculum as necessary based on the class.

The AISL course is taught to develop both a conceptual and procedural understanding of the content. That is, students will be given explanations of how mathematical ideas work, where they come from and what their purpose is. But they will also be shown clear examples of how to solve problems, and given the opportunity to solve both similar and unfamiliar problems using this new knowledge.

This is in line with the research in how to teach mathematics, bearing in mind the ideas of cognitive load theory and also the expertise reversal effect.

Students will also be taught to use the graphical display calculator effectively to help them solve a variety of problems.

Students will be set regular homework to complete which will cover all aspects of the course. This should take students approximately an hour to complete.

The AISL course is assessed through a mixture of internal and external assessments. There are 2 exam papers which are sat in May of the second year of the IB, and an internal assessment.