University of Greenwich Journals and Working Papers
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Correct for the wrong reason: why we should know more about Mathematical Common Student Errors in e-Assessment questions
Full text linkStudents may arrive at an incorrect answer when answering a mathematical question due to several reasons, such as random errors, calculation errors or misreading the question. Such errors are sometimes referred to as Common Student Errors (CSEs). This article explains why it is important to know more about Mathematical CSEs in e-Assessment questions, using several examples encountered while conducting the CSE Project at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). The CSE Project at UWE Bristol began with an aim of developing a technique to detect CSEs and provide tailored feedback in e-Assessment questions delivered via Dewis, UWE Bristol’s in-house e-Assessment system. In this research article, we present one important finding of this project that is related to the parameter selection(s) of e-Assessment questions which have at least one CSE. We highlight why, in this digital era, it is more vital than ever to know more about mathematical CSEs
“It’s so unfair” – Can we increase student perceptions of equity in the grading of group assessments by allowing them to declare a distribution of workload?
Full text linkOne of the most common complaints from students about taking part in group work is that the efforts of those who make the largest contribution are not rewarded fairly. One possible way to combat this is to allow students to agree on and declare a contribution split when submitting group projects, in the knowledge that their grades will be adjusted accordingly. We consider the results of a survey among students who have experienced group work graded both under this format and the standard “everyone in the group gets the same grade” approach. Quantitative analysis reveals that, in general, students may prefer the declaration of workload split approach. However, a closer analysis of free-text comments showed that feelings are often more nuanced than positive or negative. Students with social anxieties seem to be particularly conflicted by this method of assessment, with many reporting feelings of appreciation at the perception that their work is rewarded more fairly, concurrent with heightened stress and anxiety at the idea of approaching the conversation around workload split with their peers
Supporting Students at the Transition to University with a Self-Paced, Online Mathematics Induction Course
Full text linkIn this article we report on the design, development, and delivery of an online, self-paced, Mathematics Induction Course given to all incoming students in the Faculty of Science & Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton. We outline the background to the project, and we report on some preliminary findings which will be used to inform the future delivery of this course
Combining words and drawings, the better to understand students’ lived experiences
Full text linkThis case study presents and interprets two data sets – interviews and line drawings – about barriers to learning in the HE context, as seen from the student perspective. Eleven undergraduate students participated in this exploratory study, which took place at a United Kingdom higher education (HE) institution. The findings help reveal to the reader the lived experiences of students and present opportunities to consider intervention practices that can be used to support student transition from further education (FE) into HE. This case study also discusses how to collect and use this mixed data set and highlights how employing this method promotes student voice. Researchers may find that the approach may be applicable to their own project design
Teaching introductory economics: an interdisciplinary approach
Full text linkUsing three examples, this opinion piece argues that introductory economics can provide an effective context in which to introduce university students to interdisciplinary learning and thinking. The first example illustrates how input-process-output diagrams can be used to stimulate interdisciplinary thinking in classrooms when teaching the concept of production. The second and third examples illustrate how elasticity and the concept of circular economies, respectively, can be introduced using an interdisciplinary approach. These examples are suitable for introductory economics classrooms in which students gain a foundation of basic scientific and mathematical concepts
Part-time higher education students’ interactions with a virtual learning environment as an exploration of theories of connectivism
Full text linkThis article uses data from an action research project (ARP) conducted with part-time higher education (HE) students as a means of exploring the recent thinking about learning characterised by theories of connectivism. Both quantitative and qualitative data are presented to assess the extent to which connectivist theory might explain – and indeed develop – the use of a virtual learning environment (VLE) on a part-time Education degree in the United Kingdom (UK), particularly for students from non-traditional backgrounds. The article concludes by discussing what both the data themselves and connectivist perspectives on those data might have to say about VLE use in an age in which such learning platforms are but one means of accessing learning
Improving student engagement through employability themed group work
Full text linkIn an ideal world, universities and their departments are able to reach out to employers for collaborative, employer-set, authentic assessment which align industry expectations with an assessment that tests the intended learning outcomes of a module. This is a large and ambitious undertaking for practical reasons. The author identified three practical challenges as: sourcing willing employers, relevance and level-setting, and scalability, i.e., use in modules with large numbers of students. As module leader, each of these challenges were addressed and solutions identified allowing the employability project to be embedded into a module with 150 participating students contributing 30% towards the overall module mark
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