"The teacher still has to teach, but what will happen is students can explore certain sections in their own sort of comfort zone and will allow them to progress," said Steven Daniel, co-ordinator of early childhood and school services, specializing in mathematics.

"If they're having difficulties with something it will also allow them to go back and try things over again."

The new CD-ROM program won't mean the end of math texts by any means. There will always be math books, Daniel said with a smile.

The program is, however, another tool for teachers to use to help youngsters understand math.

Judging by results from various pilot projects, Daniel said most students welcome the math and actually show improvements in their arithmetic skills.

"What has been demonstrated very clearly, through both controlled and pilot groups, is that lower-end kids did extremely well using CGL (computer-guided learning) and taking the overall class into account, kids scored 15 per cent higher on their assessments than the controlled groups," Daniel said.

"In many cases it was the same teacher teaching the CGL side and then teaching the controlled."

The Department of Education has committed itself to supplying enough money over the next three years to see the math program in every school in the NWT that has Grade 9.

When the program is unavailable, students will be given a math text book to work from and four discs explaining the subjects with both audio and video elements.

Grade 9 math will be the first CGL program in the NWT. Grade 7 and 8 CD-ROM math is currently being developed. Grade 10 is nearly complete and plans to continue CGL to Grades 11 and 12 are in the works.

Nearly 90 educators from across the NWT have been in Yellowknife over the past few days for teacher in-servicing.