Leigh N. Wood

Constructing mathematical examinations to assess a range of knowledge and skills

In this paper, we describe aspects of a programme to enhance student learning in undergraduate mathematics. We present ways of constructing formal examinations which assess a range of knowledge and...

University student and lecturer perceptions of positive emotions in learning

This paper presents results of an investigation exploring the experience and functionality of positive feelings and emotions in learning and teaching. The role of emotions in learning is receiving increasing attention; however, few studies have researched how university students and academics experience and perceive positive emotions. A prototype approach to emotion measurement is used to analyse interview data of students and lecturers at an Australian university. Themes associated with five positive emotions are explored and student and lecturer views compared.

Different Disciplines, Different Transitions

There is not just one mathematics taught at university level, nor is there one group of students. Mathematics is taught differently depending on the discipline and the perceived background of the student. There is engineering mathematics for the students heading towards engineering degrees, life science mathematics for those heading towards biology degrees and so on. This paper considers the phases of transitions that students experience as they embark on a course of study and then go on to professional life. We make inferences about the ways the curriculum should be designed to alleviate the difficulties of these phases as well as to take account of the capabilities that graduates will require in the workplace. It is not only where students are coming from that affects their learning but where they are heading to, in combination with their perceptions of that destination.

Using Radar Charts with Qualitative Evaluation: Techniques to Assess Change in Blended Learning

When university academics implement changes in learning, such as introducing blended learning, it is conventional practice to examine and evaluate the impact of the resulting curriculum reform. Judging the worth and impact of an educational development is a complex task involving subtle differences in learning. Qualitative methods to explore these deep processes in learning include using interviews, observations and open-ended questionnaires targeting all stakeholders in the process, such as students, teachers, administration and technical staff. These evaluation tasks generate a mass of raw data that many faculty members in higher education are unaccustomed to analyzing. This article provides a framework using radar charts adapted from the field of organizational development. A modified six-zone radar chart was used to assess the extent of blended learning in order to compare changes in the learning environment. Data collection included interviews, classroom observations and electronic records generated during educational delivery over a 1-year period of time. A purposeful sample of online course data was collected by three participating universities in South Africa, Australia, and the United States.

Learning in Lectures: Multiple Representations

Lectures remain the lynchpin of mathematics teaching at university even with advances in information technology and access to the internet. This paper examines the requirements for learning mathematics and shows how important it is for lecturers to be aware of the different modes of presentation they are using. Ways to assist students to make the connections between different representations are considered, with particular reference to students whose first language is not English.

Is there Life after Modelling? Student Conceptions of Mathematics

We have been investigating university student conceptions of mathematics over a number of years, with the goal of enhancing student learning and professional development. We developed an open-ended survey of three questions, on “What is mathematics” and two questions about the role of mathematics in the students’ future. This questionnaire was completed by 1,200 undergraduate students of mathematics in Australia, the UK, Canada, South Africa, and Brunei. The sample included students ranging from those majoring in mathematics to those taking only one or two modules in mathematics. Responses were analysed starting from a previously-developed phenomenographic framework that required only minor modification, leading to an outcome space of four levels of conceptions about mathematics. We found that for many students modelling is fundamental to their conception of “What is mathematics?”. In a small number of students, we identified a broader conception of mathematics, that we have labelledLife. This describes a view of mathematics as a way of thinking about reality and as an integral part of life, and represents an ideal aim for university mathematics education.

Graduate attributes: teaching as learning

Recent graduates of degrees in the mathematical sciences were interviewed in depth about their work and the skills required to perform those tasks. One common undertaking could be described as teaching: demonstrating to colleagues, training their assistants or explaining mathematics to their managers. The paper describes how this understanding of teaching in the workplace can inform curriculum design at university level to better prepare graduates for work. Examples of assessment activities that lecturers can adapt for use in their classes in the mathematical sciences are presented.

Business graduate skills in sustainability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review research and strategies in Australian business education that aim to foster graduate capabilities in sustainability concepts and practices, also to present a case study of teaching practice along with ideas for future development.Design/methodology/approach – The authors report on a research project by seven Australian universities, with financial support from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), on how to develop and grade graduate capabilities with sustainability identified as a core graduate skill. An example is presented from the Faculty of Business and Economics of a strategy in action – the use of a case study (centred on sustainability practices at the university) to enhance the skills of merit scholars.Findings – Corporate social responsibility is a well‐established concept in business management theory, with sustainability principles emerging as a core feature. In the higher education sector, the spirit may be willing, but training ...

Can you show you are a good lecturer

Measurement of the quality of teaching activities is becoming increasingly important since universities are rewarding performance in terms of promotion, awards and bonuses and research is no longer the only key performance indicator. Good teaching is not easy to identify and measure. This paper specifically deals with the issue of good teaching in mathematics at tertiary level–what good teaching is and how to measure it.

Creating a Diversity of Mathematical Experiences for Tertiary Students

A process is described for creating a more civerse set of experiences for undergraduate students in mathematics. While we use examples drawn from classes studying linear algebra, the procedures are appropriate for any undergraduate course in mathematics. The diversity of the activities is generated in part through the use of a taxonomy which addresses the nature of the activities rather than a hierarchy of levels of difficulty. All exercises used as illustrations have been attempted by students in second year undergraduate classes.