University of Greenwich Journals and Working Papers
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Talking Statistics: A reflection on some of the problems with statistical language
Full text linkFor most of my life I managed to swerve statistics. I learned a little at school and studied some (very theoretical) statistics as part of my mathematics degree. As a teacher, in schools and then university, I did not teach anything beyond GCSE statistics. It was not until I got a post in Mathematics and Statistics support a decade ago that I had to begin to learn the subject properly.I had excellent support from the sigma network, attending a memorable SPSS Bootcamp and other events which helped me enormously. But I was conscious that there were various aspects of statistics that presented problems for me. One was the way in which statistics differed from mathematics in being much less cut and dried. If a student had made a mistake in a calculation or argument it was fairly easy to spot and correct. However, when a student said ‘my supervisor said I should do a t-test’ and this did not seem the most appropriate way forward it was much harder to advise. I also realised that I was finding the language of statistics harder to master than I felt it ought to have been. It is this aspect that I will focus on in this article as I tentatively suggest that students might also have such problems
Authenticity in Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Full text linkMathematics graduates traditionally are recognised for their problem solving, critical thinking, and analytic skills. However, the methods often used to hone these skills at university are often abstract and decontextualized. This can often create a disconnect between expected capabilities of a mathematics graduate from employers and the actual problem-solving skills required in their career. In this case-study we will outline how the programme team has developed our approach to authentic learning and authentic problems to bridge this gap and ensure graduates are prepared for the workforce
The new normal: What does maths and stats support and teaching look like post pandemic?
Full text linkThe workshop “The new normal: What does maths and stats support and teaching look like post pandemic?” took place on the 1st of December 2022 and discussed the changes to mathematics and statistics support since the lifting of restrictions after the pandemic. The event consisted of five short talks where presenters explored the changes that had occurred to mathematics and statistics support at their institutions and concluded with a discussion on how to effectively combine online and face-to-face support and how to increase engagement in all forms of support. This report summarises the talks and discussion, concluding with some thoughts on the changes still required and how we can support each other
An Accessible Maths Journey
Full text linkThe four narratives that follow bring together the stories from the lived experiences of a post-graduate blind maths student, her tutor, her transcriber and a learning technologist over the course of five years. It provides an insight into what is needed to help one student with their own way of learning maths. It also demonstrates how pulling at one thread can help to unravel and reveal the many lenses through which accessible maths needs to be approached
Towards a Better Transition to University: A Student-Centric Welcome Day for the New Undergraduate Students in a Mathematics Department
Full text linkThis case study delves into a Welcome Day event organised by the Department of Mathematical Sciences at a UK university for the incoming first year students in the department. This report reflects some of the practicalities and the evaluation of the event. The event, primarily focused on student engagement activities along with reduced amount of traditional presentations, was aimed at facilitating peer networking and smoothing the transition from school to university, hence nurturing a sense of belonging within the student community. The structure of the event was crafted to align with the department\u27s unique ethos, with an emphasis on activities that resonate with the field of mathematics. Evaluation of the event is done based on the responses from the students during the event via an online questionnaire. The event not only demonstrated high levels of student satisfaction but also served as a good example of department-specific orientation programs. These localized events can complement university-wide initiatives, offering a more tailored setting for new students to acclimate to their specific academic environment. This paper has the prospect to guide others and to reinforce the notion of seeking to tailor welcome days to match the needs of new cohorts
Exploring the impact of street play as a powerful pedagogical tool in public health programs
Full text linkThis case study reports on the production, performance and evaluation of a public health street play by MSc Public Health students at York St John University (London Campus) in the United Kingdom. The street play was performed on World AIDS Day 2023. This paper focuses on the dynamic and interactive nature of street play as a pedagogical technique that aligns with constructivist principles, fostering meaningful learning experiences. Increased confidence, engagement and programme commitment were observed in students both in in-person and online sessions following the street play. While recognising these strengths, we discuss the need to address challenges, foster collaborations and implement continuous improvement strategies to make street play even more effective as a teaching method in the public health discipline
Win-Win-Win: Drop-in Mathematics Support for Secondary School Students
Full text linkMathematics Learning Support (MLS), which is available in the majority of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland and the UK, is traditionally available only to students of those institutions. In this paper, we describe a drop-in model of MLS at Maynooth University (MU) which has been available for secondary school students since 2009. This service is mainly staffed by volunteer undergraduate trainee teachers. Their feedback, the main focus of this paper, which has been collected over ten years, indicates that this experience has had a positive impact on their teaching practice. School students are also very positive about the support and MU enthusiastically endorses the service. We conclude that there are no obvious downsides to the provision of this type of support and we believe that more institutions should consider making it available
Making the Move from "Med Math" to Medication Administration and Safety
Full text linkThe World Health Organization (WHO) recognized medication errors as a global health problem in 2017 highlighting them as a top patient safety challenge (World Health Organization, 2023). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) highlights quality and safety one of the essentials of nursing (2021). In response to declining medication math scores and the emphasis on patient safety, one Midwest United States nursing program updated their curriculum to address medication administration and safety on exams instead of just “med math” as dosage calculation. Addressing the varying skills and knowledge of foundational mathematical concepts for nursing students entering and progressing throughout the program remains an area of further study
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