Hear teachers’ first thoughts on the fx-CG100

In this blog, we share the views of five teachers and maths experts on the fx-CG100, our recently launched colour graphic calculator. You’ll hear from:

• Seb Bicen, a secondary school maths teacher turned YouTuber who now runs the Bicen Maths channel
• Rose Jewell, AMSP Area Coordinator and senior examiner
• Bernard Murphy, Maths Education Support Specialist at MEI and A-level maths teacher
• Connie Naker, Head of Maths at Brakenhale School
• Vicky Moore, Year 11 Raising Standards Lead and maths teacher at Brakenhale School

First impressions: the look and feel

One of the most powerful impressions any user will get of the fx-CG100 is how the calculator looks and feels when they first pick it up. Anyone who is familiar with the ClassWiz scientific range will notice the consistencies in user interface and key layout with our newest model.

Seb was full of praise for the design of the handset, saying it feels like everything has been given an upgrade from the fx-CG50.

“It’s a really sophisticated piece of technology and I think it’s important that it looks that way as well,” he said. “This isn’t just your standard calculator – it’s something that elevates your teaching and learning to the next level.”

Another crucial aspect of the fx-CG100 – and something that can be easily overlooked or taken for granted – is the large colour display.

Seb pointed out that students having a larger screen than the one they’re used to from their scientific calculator can make a big difference, particularly when it comes to managing their cognitive load and doing tasks such as reviewing previous inputs and checking their working.

“Students so often tell me that using the larger screen when they’re in Calculate mode just transforms how they can organise their thinking,” he added.

Operation and navigation

As far as the operation of the fx-CG100 is concerned, there are some significant differences to the fx-CG50, which are intended to make our latest handset more intuitive to use.

Among the new and improved aspects is the tab-based layout of some apps. This allows you to switch between different views at the press of a key.

In Graph and Table mode, for example, you can use the Tab keys to navigate instantly from algebraic function data, to the graphical view of the function, to a table of values.

Vicky highlighted the tabs as a key part of what makes the fx-CG100 so user-friendly, while Rose said this functionality makes it much easier for students to explore the relationships between functions, graphs and numerical values.

Regarding the educational benefits of this functionality, Bernard pointed out that it opens doors for students to continue investigating and experimenting, even after they’ve found the solution they need.

“The way you can interact with statistical distributions, for example, means you don’t just stop when you’ve answered a question,” he said. “You can change the different aspects of it at the push of a button, and that’s extremely helpful.”

Another notable addition to the fx-CG100 is the shortcut system, which allows you to access functionality and menu items quickly via the relevant shortcut key, rather than having to scroll down to them.

Rose said this should prove particularly beneficial for students as they get more familiar with the calculator and start to rely on their most frequently used shortcuts for rapid navigation.

Feedback taken on board

User feedback on past calculators played a key part in the development of the fx-CG100 and how it operates.

A good example of this is the Format key, which has been updated to allow instant standard-to-decimal conversions with a single press. However, you can also press Shift and Format to bring up a menu of other conversion options, such as sexagesimal form and improper fractions.

We’ve also taken teacher and student feedback on board with regards to activating UK Exam Mode. This required a specific sequence of key presses on the fx-CG50, but on the fx-CG100, students simply have to scroll to Exam Mode on the home screen (shortcut K) to turn it on.

Seb commented: “Hearing that Casio have listened to teacher feedback and made those changes in this model – it just feels nice that Casio are listening… and action is being taken to give us better products that we can use as learning tools in the classroom with our students.”

Making a seamless shift

The introduction of new technology will always raise questions about making the transition between devices, which is why we designed the fx-CG100 to be consistent with the ClassWiz scientific range.

Connie had little doubt in students’ ability to move smoothly between devices, partly since the fx-CG100 links “beautifully” to the scientific handsets, but also because many young people are naturally comfortable with new technologies.

“Students can be better than teachers at working these things out,” she said. “They’re very good with technology and they have more time for it. From my experience, students have been brilliant at working out how to use these kinds of calculators.”

Vicky echoed this, noting: “The new fx-CG100 has a similar interface to the scientific calculator, so will allow students to adapt from GCSE to A-level quite seamlessly.”

Looking at it from the teacher’s perspective, Bernard acknowledged that some teachers will be reluctant to move on from the fx-CG50. However, with new students coming through every year, he said it makes sense to adopt a calculator that is intuitive to use and follows on naturally from what they’re already familiar with.

Speaking from his own experience, Bernard said he had been using the fx-CG100 for two weeks and already considered it his everyday calculator, finding it difficult to imagine going back to his previous model.

Seb was keen to stress that the fx-CG100 is very much a ‘pick up and play’ device. You don’t have to be a technology expert to use it, especially when you have enthusiastic students to help you explore the handset and get maximum benefit from it.

Finally, we hear from our Education Development Manager, Amarpreet Singh Kular, who emphasises just how exciting this launch is.

“The fx-CG100 is the result of four years of focused development, designed to bring greater consistency across the entire ClassWiz range – from scientific to graphical models,” Amarpreet said.

“At Casio, we’re proud to support teachers through every stage of change, offering tools, training and resources to help you feel confident and ready for what’s next.”