email: mathssupport@cardiff.ac.uk website: do you feel that you: require refreshing in basic...

Email: mathssupport@cardiff.ac.uk

Website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

Do you feel that you:

Require refreshing in basic mathematical techniques

Suffer from maths anxiety

Worry about the maths element of your course

The Maths Support Service offers:

Friendly one-to-one assistance

Informal/relaxed drop-in sessions

Access to a range of learning resources.

Maths Support Service

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Maths Support ServiceCardiff University

website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

Enhancing the Provision of Support Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective PracticeThrough Reflective Practice

Robert Wilson & Jonathan Gillard

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Maths Support ServiceCardiff University

website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

BackgroundBackground

• University wide pilot set-up in 2006/7,

jointly funded by university L&T and

School of Mathematics.

• Additional funding obtained for 2008/9.

• Funding post 2009 . . . ? ? ?

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Maths Support ServiceCardiff University

website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

The Cardiff ModelThe Cardiff Model

The service currently offers:

• Online Resources via the Maths Support Website.

• Drop-in sessions for two hours a day (Mon-Fri) at

varying locations across the University.

• Pre-arranged appointments

• Feedback obtained via paper forms completed by

students during visits to the drop-in sessions.

Monthly visits to Maths Support drop-in sessions 2006-2009

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Total Number of Visits to Maths Support per day 0809

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Total number of visits to Maths Support per month 0809

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OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAYMonth

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First time Follow up

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Maths Support ServiceCardiff University

website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

Student CommentsStudent Comments• “Excellent service. Cardiff students lucky to have this. Tutors are relaxed, friendly

and helpful. Nice atmosphere to learn in.” Prelim student – BIOSI

• “Brilliant, really helpful, would probably have dropped out if it wasn’t for Maths

Support.” Year 1 student – MUSIC

• “Would fail without the help.” Year 2 student – MATHS

• “Thank you very much for the online materials you have provided with the Maths

Support Service. I have found them to be of immense help, especially the way

you have personalised the essential maths for each subject, which makes it much

easier to find what I need to know.” Year 4 student - PHARM

• “VERY HELPFUL, excellent explanation, knew a lot more about statistics than my

tutors did.” Year 5 student – MEDIC

• “I would really appreciate this class more if there were more time slots. But it is

extremely useful!” MSC student – CARBS

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Maths Support ServiceCardiff University

website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

ConsiderationsConsiderations

• Are we recording the correct information?

If not, how can we efficiently collect such

details.

• How do we make the service more visible

to a wider audience?

• Are the numbers attending encouraging?

Is the service we are providing actually

developing student learning?

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Cardiff’s Approach:Cardiff’s Approach:

Continuously reflect on our own

practises to ensure, given the

resources available, that we are

providing an ‘effective’ service

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Maths Support ServiceCardiff University

website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

Student ProfilesStudent Profiles

Student A - “I can’t do maths”

Student B - “Here is my data, what statistical

test do I use?”

Student C - “How do I integrate – my exam is

later this afternoon”

Student D - “How do I do question 4?”

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

An interesting response for Student DAn interesting response for Student D

• There is a fine balance between student satisfaction, and measured effectiveness of the service. If we don't give out answers to “Is my answer correct for question 4?”, then our feedback could potentially dip, but I think the student would be better off from learning some independency. Its the old "cruel to be kind" thing. We should encourage students to be more confident in their work, and also to enforce the message that getting things wrong is all part of the learning process anyway.

• Attendance ↓, student satisfaction ↓, feedback ↓, marks ↓, service ↑?

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Maths Support ServiceCardiff University

website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

Student ProfilesStudent Profiles

PLEASE VISIT

www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

and post your comments

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

The ProblemThe Problem

• “Effectiveness” is a latent variable

• Anecdotal evidence of effectiveness gathered by the minute

• Attendance, marks, satisfaction etc are manifest variables

• All relate to effectiveness…

• Not necessarily a positive straight line relationship!

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Obtaining the most effective service (given Obtaining the most effective service (given the resources available)the resources available)

• Do we need to vary the parameters?

– How do we deal with people in drop-ins?

– Change the basic model?

• Perhaps then we can find the best model

out of all possible models.

Enhancing the Provision of Support Through Reflective Practice

Maths Support ServiceCardiff University

website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport

Questions & Comments?Questions & Comments?

Do you feel that you:

Require refreshing in basic mathematical techniques

Suffer from maths anxiety

Worry about the maths element of your course

The Maths Support Service offers:

Friendly one-to-one assistance

Informal/relaxed drop-in sessions

Access to a range of learning resources.Email: mathssupport@cardiff.ac.uk

Website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport