First Year in Maths Workshop 4 – 11 July 2016 Targeted, Timely and Relevant Maths Support: Collaboration between the Learning and Academic Skills Centre and Course Coordinators Dr Elena Sinchenko, LAS Advisor, Learning and Academic Skills Centre, Student Advancement, Swinburne University of Technology Katrina van Vuuren, Lecturer Education, Department of Education and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology Dr Elena Verezub, Coordinator, Learning and Academic Skills Centre, Student Advancement, Swinburne University of Technology CRICOS 00111D TOID 3059

Learning and Academic Skills (LAS) Centre at Swinburne Integrated services for all students: Higher Education Pathways &Vocational Education – PAVE Local International

We offer: Workshops: faculty specific, subject specific Individual/small group consultations Workshops: faculty specific, subject specific Short courses Team teaching Conversation group Embedding of academic skills into curriculum

Students decide:  they need to Whether they need help Where to come for help When to seek help  they need to Realise if/when they need help Overcome stigma when asking for support Accommodate extra study time

Worst case scenario, we will work with students who are: Anxious Desperate for help Behind on a lot of material Interested only in attaining the minimum mark to pass the test/exam, not in developing skills And … The test is tomorrow!

Collaboration with Course Coordinator Course: Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Bachelor of Primary Education Unit: The World of Maths Minimum requirements to pass this unit of study: PART A – Assessment tasks PART B – Mathematics Competency Test (hurdle task) To pass this unit, you must also achieve 80% or above on the Mathematics Competency Test. This test is part of the national requirement for teacher education programs and is benchmarked at primary school level 5/6, as agreed by the Victorian Institute for Teaching (VIT).

Mathematics Competency Test Computer-based 80% minimum pass mark On-line learning materials On-line practice quizzes No calculators allowed in the test!

Mathematics Competency Test First opportunity Runs during first week of semester Info regarding study support available on Blackboard Average score – 70% Second opportunity Runs during first exam week Study support is recommended Final Attempt Runs during last exam week Study support is highly recommended Focus group 78 - pass 14 - pass 6 - pass 101 23 9 2 – chose not to come for the final attempt 1 – received special consideration

Focus Group Results

Focus group Maths anxiety Negative experience in previous maths subjects Low confidence Negative perception of personal ability “maths is my weakness” “I did not expect to have a maths unit in my course” “I did not like maths and avoided it throughout school” “my teacher seemed to give up on me”

Types of problems encountered by students Maths Numeracy Maths techniques Procedural knowledge Long/short division Mental calculations Question wording Application of simple numerical concepts Knowledge of specific maths concepts and terminology

Conclusions Collaboration between the LAS Centre and course coordinators/ lecturers is essential to: Target students at risk Provide effective and relevant support Reduce failure rate Semester 1, 2016 failure rate-3%, however could have been around 13-15% without LAS intervention.