Learning and Teaching Maths in Biosciences

Jenny Koenig, Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge

Dawn HawkinsAnglia Ruskin UniversityBiomaths Education Network

Nathan PikeHigher Education AcademyUS-UK Comparisons Study

A survey of the mathematics landscape within bioscience in UK Higher Education (2011)

Preparedness from school:

• content

• attitudes

Maths in bioscience degrees:

• pedagogy

• content

http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/ftp/reports/biomaths_landscape.pdf

Preparedness: content

School maths qualifications upon entry at 24 UK HE’s

GCSE grades for Bioscience degrees

MEI (Mathematics in Education and Industry) 2010

C Grade at GCSE Maths means:

• no scientific notation

• very weak algebra

• no graphs of exponential or reciprocal functions

• no trigonometry

• no box plots or histograms

What do the grades mean in practice?

http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/ftp/resources/pre-university-maths-guide.pdf

logarithms and calculus are in AS maths

A level Chemistry and Biology contain very little maths

Report from SCORE,  “Mathematics within A level Science 2010 Examinations” (2012)

http://www.score-education.org/policy/qualifications-and-assessment/mathematics-in-science

Preparedness: attitudes

• “fear of maths”, “maths-phobia”• “treat maths as some kind of mystical dark art, sent to

terrorise biologists”• “the key difficulty is not so much lack of knowledge as

lack of confidence”• “the maths content of a Biology degree comes as quite a

shock…”• “when they see the application for themselves, many do

shift their opinion and attitude towards mathematics”

Maths content in bioscience degrees

US-UK Comparisons

Reports:BIO2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future

Research Biologists (2003)

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10497

Vision and Change in Undergraduate Education: A call to action. AAAS. (2011).

http://visionandchange.org/finalreport/

Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. (2012).

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-executive-report-final_2-13-12.pdf

What next?

What are the key questions now?

• How do we change attitudes to maths?– positive reinforcement – can this be done in large classes?– context / authenticity – can this impact upon the emotional

response?– problem-solving approaches– mathematical modelling approaches

• Why don’t students expect to see maths in biology degrees?

• How do we correct the mismatch in content from school to university?