email: [email protected] website: do you feel that you: require refreshing in basic...
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Email: [email protected]
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
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY
Month
Num
ber o
f Vis
its
0607 0708 0809
Total Number of Visits to Maths Support per day 0809
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
MON TUE WED THUR FRI
Day of week
Num
ber o
f Vis
its
Total number of visits to Maths Support per month 0809
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAYMonth
Num
ber o
f Vis
its
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: [email protected]
Website: www.cardiff.ac.uk/mathssupport