1. 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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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!

6. 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).

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

8. 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

9. Focus Group Results

10. 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”

11. 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

12. 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.