UI lecturer composes song to aid teaching, learning of mathematics

A lecturer in the University of Ibadan, Dr Akin Salami, has composed a song, MATMUSIC Project, to simplify the teaching and learning of mathematics and eliminate the dread many pupils have for the subject.

At a public presentation of the song on Friday in Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, who commended Salami, said that innovative tools must be adopted to enhance learning.

A statement issued by the university said that the Vice Chancellor challenged other researchers to discover new ways of enhancing learning by making learning interesting for positive learning outcomes

“He (Dr Skin Salami) has come up with this innovative way to teach mathematics through music and I believe there are other possibilities to teach medicine through music just to make learning interesting.

“For the learners with the efforts the doctor, instructor or lecturer is putting into such initiative, it will make learning much more possible,” Olayinka said.

In his remarks at the event, Dr Akin Salami of the Early Child Education Department of the institution.

said that the idea of MATMUSIC project was a product of his teaching experience at the University Staff school where he taught mathematics.

He said that that the realisation that the students loved the course when he introduced music in passing across the formula and solution was what motivated MATMUSIC project.

According to him, together with the pupils, the song was composed and produced to ease the understanding and solving mathematical problems in elementary primary schools.

He said that 20 schools in Oyo state would be given 10 free audio and video CDs of the MATMusic and another 300 would be given to students who attended the public presentation event free of charge.

Dr Kemi Adeosun, the representative of the Oyo SUBEB Chairman, Dr Nureni Adeniran, lauded the innovative project and promised that the state would partner with the University of Ibadan.

“We will ensure that the CDs get to the pupils at the grassroots to neutralise the fears of pupils in learning mathematics.

“We so much appreciate this notable project because mathematics is a very important subject and as we all know that the major objective of Universal Basic Education (UBE) is to inculcate in Children, Literacy numeracy, life skills and values that will help them in lifelong education.

“This method will really help the teachers and the learners to develop the capacity to understand mathematics better, and be able to learn it in a fun way.

“It will also make it easier and the achievement of the UBE will be easier. We are going to put in all our efforts in making sure that this project reaches the grassroots.

“As long as we are able to raise funds, we’d be able to procure some of these items for the use in our public primary schools,” he said.