1. Implementing additional maths support for Health Science students
Nicola McIntyre, Linda Thomson, Gerry Golding

2. Background SDK100 – Science and Health: an evidence-based approach
Prior to 17J, maths support was provided at dayschools (plus online alternatives) and via a maths workbook
Adequately met needs of some students, but too basic for some students and too complex for other students
Maths backgrounds of students on SDK100 are incredibly diverse:
Students with maths qualifications
Many students with low level/no maths qualifications and very low confidence levels
“I’ve got an adversity to maths; a complete block”

3. What did we do?
This project trials an alternative approach to maths tuition, removing maths from the first tutorial and replacing it with:
Series of 18 short videos (screencasts) each covering one mathematical concept
Follow-up maths worksheets
Follow-up interactive workshop (offered twice)
These were evaluated in the workshop (via polls), post- workshop questionnaire and interviews.

4. Maths video evaluation
Number of views of each video: (17J presentation: students; 18B presentation: 900 students)
Title
Number of views
Number types
147
Working with numbers 91
Brackets 69
Decimals (rounding, arithmetic and fractions)
62, 44, 29
Fractions 1 – 4
61, 48, 35, 28
Percentages 1 & 2
27, 22
Rounding (sig figs) 56
BEDMAS 1 & 2
71, 50
Powers
107
Scientific notation and worked example
43, 23

5. Maths videos evaluation
Within-workshop feedback
Have you watched the maths videos? If so, how many?
No. of responses
“Not sure which videos these are. I have watched a few on different areas of the OU site”
“Unfortunately did not read about the videos until earlier today and was busy trying to do my TMA 01”

6. Maths videos evaluation
Within-workshop feedback
“I seem to understand better with the videos”.
“I have some understanding, but some parts are a bit daunting!”

7. Maths videos evaluation
Questionnaire feedback (16 respondents)
I liked having the option to choose which
maths videos best fit my needs
(1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree)
In general, how would you rate the usefulness of the maths videos?
% response
“Having someone explain rather than reading it makes it easier to understand especially if you are struggling on an aspect of it.”
“you can watch over again until the penny drops”
“Handy to have information presented in different formats”

8. Maths videos evaluation
Questionnaire feedback (16 respondents)
No. of responses
GCSE/Scottish standard grade
No formal maths qual
University level maths

9. Maths videos evaluation
Summary
Students liked the option to select topics to suit their needs
Students liked being able to pause, rewind and re-watch the videos
Feedback from all 3 sources suggests that videos are useful but need to be more prominent in the module website

10. Design and our expectations
Workshops
Design and our expectations
2 module-wide workshops offered
Advertised via CAMEL and via tutors (ie not in the LEM)
Emphasised that this is for students with little/no maths qualifications and little confidence
Expectation that students would engage with preparatory materials was emphasised
Not recorded
Described as workshops
To make it clear that these would be interactive and therefore differentiated from other tutorials.
To emphasise importance of preparatory materials
Two SDK100 tutors selected and briefed on format of workshop:
Instructed to use polling at start to gauge areas where students needed most support
Instructed to start off with a practice question, without prior teaching of concepts, to gauge students’ current understanding
Further explanations to be provided if students struggling

11. Workshops What happened…. Evening workshop: 64 attendees
Lunchtime workshop: 36 attendees
(9 students attended both)
Tutors used polling to prioritise concepts to be covered
Tutors used polling to check whether students had engaged with preparatory materials
Many students hadn’t engaged with prep materials therefore not ready to go straight to practice questions
47% of students in workshop 1 and 36% in workshop 2 had not watched any videos.
48% of students in workshop 1 and 41% of students in workshop 2 had not completed any worksheets
Extremely vibrant, interactive workshops with most students engaging via polling pods and chat box

12. Within-workshop feedback
Workshop evaluation
Within-workshop feedback
Maths confidence at start of workshop
Effect of workshop on confidence
levels
% response
Workshop 1 (56 respondents)
Workshop 2 (22 respondents)

13. Within-workshop feedback
Workshop evaluation
Within-workshop feedback

14. Within-workshop feedback
Workshop evaluation
Within-workshop feedback
“it was good to work with other students collaboratively and nice to be able to ask questions etc”
“being able to ask questions has helped and having it said (if) different ways”
“Having someone talk to me rather than reading it, and being able to tell me where I have gone wrong.”
“i think the group needs to be smaller and research on what people are struggling should be taken into account as some needed help in other areas but didn’t get a chance”

15. Questionnaire feedback (12 respondents)
Workshop evaluation
Questionnaire feedback (12 respondents)
Interactivity levels compared
to other tutorials
Importance of provision
of workshop (1 = not at all
Important, 5 = very important)
% response
% response

16. Suggestions for improvement: Smaller groups and more workshops
Workshop evaluation
Summary
Praise for patience of tutors, quality of teaching and “down to earth” approach to support
Several students commented that workshops helped to build confidence/reassure them
2/3 students interviewed rated the workshops as the most important element of the maths support
Suggestions for improvement: Smaller groups and more workshops

17. Engagement with the worksheets?
Worksheet evaluation
Engagement with the worksheets?
Within-workshop feedback
% response
Questionnaire feedback
% response
In the questionnaire, 86% of students
rated the worksheets as a 4 or a 5 on
a scale of 1 – 5

18. Conclusions Lessons learned
This approach to maths support allows students to chose the resources which best fits their needs
The resources are pitched appropriately for the target students
This approach helps build confidence for some students and provide reassurance for other students that their maths skills are adequate
Encouraging students to engage with preparatory work is a challenge
Students thought the workshops are an essential component (videos not enough for most students)
Need more workshops covering more topics
Videos need greater visibility on module website
Previous educational qualifications not necessarily good indicator of current ability and confidence
Lessons learned

19. Thanks to….. Acknowledgements
Isabella Henman and Ann Keohane for running the workshops
SDK100 module team for allowing us to pilot this
eSTEeM for funding for this project