1. Mastery Tests in Maths for the Life Sciences
Jonathan Kress

2. The context MATH1031 Maths for Life Sciences students
Life science/Aviation/Optometry/etc
350 students
Technology
why do students need to calculate by hand?
automating assessment and feedback
Humans
understanding
communication
What should teachers spend their time on?
UNSW 3 terms in 2019

3. What’s wrong? Pass students can do 50% of what we want
Pass students can not do 50% of what we want
Students move to next topic/course regardless of gaps
Lots of effort marking with just ticks and crosses
What little feedback is given is ignored
Effective mathematical communication not valued

4. What would I like?
Pass students should master almost all basic techniques
Communication of mathematical ideas is valued and assessed by humans
Computer marking used where appropriate
immediate feedback
less intimidating than a cross from the teacher
teacher’s time can be better spent

5. What did we do? Mastery tests on basic skills with a pass level at 80%
weekly online exercises
supervised online tests in the lab in weeks 5, 9, 13
repeat allowed for scores < 80%
repeat score capped at 80%
Assignment focused on mathematical communication
video review of non-mathematicians using maths
“exam style questions”
Final exam only for students with 50/65 in pre-exam
only distinction level questions
10 of 40 marks for presentation and clarity

6. Assessment breakdown 5% Weekly mastery online tests
45% Mastery Lab Tests in weeks 5, 9, 13
unlimited practice versions available online
repeat allowed in week 14 but capped at 80%
10% Assignment
5% Maple (software) online test
35% Written exam
only for students with 50/65 in pre-exam work
Students who didn’t take written exam given further repeat attempts at Mastery Tests

7. How did it go?

8. How did it go?

9. How did it go?

10. Issues Some students didn’t understand the structure
Mastery Tests easy
Exam hard and testing communication and understanding
Couldn’t use raw exam score (out of 40)
18 scaled to 10
26 scaled to 23

11. Some stats 85% of students passed before the exam
3% passed with extra Mastery Tests at the exam time
3% in the range will get one more chance
Exam presentation
Exam technical