Mathematical skills catch-up: Developing a University-wide ...ncmg2/posters/2018-ltds-poster.pdf ·...
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Accessing the resources The tests are now available to students as part of the Numeracy, Mathematics & Statistics section of the University’s Academic Skills Kit (ASK) website, both embedded inside topics and as a separate Transition to University section. The material is also available through the Maths Aid one-to-one service as follow up resources, integrated into the tutor’s session management portal. In addition, the content has been made available through the Numbas public database to users across the world. Resource topics The Numbas tests cover the following topics:3 Mathematical skills catch-up: Developing a University-wide solution through online formative tests Chris Graham ([email protected]) Project Team: Vicky Hall, Kate Henderson, Sara Marsham, Christian Lawson-Perfect, Yoav Tadmor, Alison Williams Student Team: Hannah Aldous, Bradley Bush, Stanislav Duris, Elliot Fletcher, Aiden McCall, Lauren Richards Abstract Many subjects across the University are challenged by students who struggle with an unexpectedly high level of assumed mathematical proficiency in their courses. This project has built a significant bank of formative mathematical tests using the Numbas assessment system, which can be used both as a diagnostic tool and for student-led learning. This project was made possible by Newcastle University’s ULTSEC Innovation Fund. Thank you to everyone involved in the project. We are grateful for the help of the Careers Service in recruiting our student team. Motivation Mathematics or statistics forms a part of many degree programmes across our University. This is often reflected in entry requirements, however the background of incoming students can vary dramatically. Subjects such as Biology, Chemistry and Psychology list mathematics as one of a selection of preferred A-levels, but otherwise accept applicants with grade B at GCSE (or equivalent). Other subjects, such as Computer Science, Geography, Marketing and Architecture, typically ask for grade B or C at GCSE and later contain mathematical content. Business Management students, for example, take a core module introducing fairly sophisticated quantitative techniques in their first year. This project tackles this challenge by providing resources which can be used to help to diagnose mathematical ability, and to offer practice to students that is both extensive and engaging. Setting up the project Six undergraduate students took part in the project. We first asked project partners and other interested parties to help to identify topics for which a firm foundation is required, in order to succeed in their degree programme. The outcome was largely GCSE-level material, with some selected topics from the A-Level syllabus. After taking part in some training in the e-assessment system Numbas, the team set about creating material accordingly. Collaboration and student feedback The student team made great use of the project management tool Trello, which allowed check-lists to be created and work to be assigned. The students also took a more traditional approach, using sticky notes to organise their workload. Students enjoyed working in a professional environment, though were a little frustrated by our exacting standards (!), such that the Numbas Ready to Use label was a rare reward! We were particularly impressed by the quality with which the students peer-reviewed their colleagues’ work. The project was a great experience. It allowed us all to work in a professional environment and get a taste of how much work goes into making the questions that we are assessed on. Over to you! Add the ‘Transition to university’ material to your Blackboard module in just steps! Watch our how to video and find out more information on the LTDS Blog: blogs.ncl.ac.uk/ltdev/ Newcastle University module leaders can add content to Blackboard in 3 easy steps. From the menu, select Assessments and then Numbas - LTI. Fill out the familiar Blackboard item options for title, description, display dates etc. Then simply click Submit and Launch to open the Numbas tool interface. 2 In the Select a ready- made exam box, choose ’Transition to university’, pick a test and click Use this. Hey presto, you’ve got a Numbas test in your Blackboard module. 1 3 3 Numbas is a mathematical e-assessment system developed in the School of Mathematics, Statistics & Physics. The system is perfect for maths testing, but can be applied to many different subjects. Numbas questions can assess numerical answers, algebraic expressions, MCQ and more, and can display interactive diagrams and graphs. Questions can be randomised, with instant feedback and full solutions, offering a powerful opportunity for students to practise and perfect! Numbas is open source and used around the world, with a public database of ready-to-use resources, and is used here at Newcastle for everything from diagnostic tests to final exams. More information: numbas.org.uk [email protected] Clockwise L-R: The Newcastle University Academic Skills Kit Website; an example test on calculating volume; and the Transition to university project on the Numbas public editor. The content was split into questions, each one designed to assess a particular skill. These are designed to be engaging and offer rich feedback, so as well as the question text, students helped to create images, dynamic graphs, videos and full solutions to the questions, each one of which is randomised, so that students can click a button to create a new, similar question, offering endless practice. The questions were later merged into around thirty tests, each one covering a specific topic. L-R: Sticky notes, used by the students to keep track of which questions had been checked; the prestigious ‘ready to use’ tag; and the project management tool Trello (trello.com). What next? A recent post on the LTDS Blog highlights the ease with which Numbas tests can be placed into a Blackboard content folder. This can be used for formative practice, but also records scores, so can be appropriate for diagnostic and summative tests too. Several follow-up projects across the three faculties are planned for 2018/19, to embed the material into degree programmes or modules. Given the content of the tests, we hope to use the material in outreach and recruitment projects. The material is already being integrated into a distance learning pre-entry course in mathematics for non-standard applicants to the University. ” “
Transcript of Mathematical skills catch-up: Developing a University-wide ...ncmg2/posters/2018-ltds-poster.pdf ·...
Accessing the resources The tests are now available to students as part of the Numeracy, Mathematics & Statistics section of the University’s Academic Skills Kit (ASK) website, both embedded inside topics and as a separate Transition to University section. The material is also available through the Maths Aid one-to-one service as follow up resources, integrated into the tutor’s session management portal. In addition, the content has been made available through the Numbas public database to users across the world.
Resource topics The Numbas tests cover the following topics:3
Mathematical skills catch-up: Developing a University-wide solution through online formative tests
Chris Graham ([email protected])Project Team: Vicky Hall, Kate Henderson, Sara Marsham, Christian Lawson-Perfect, Yoav Tadmor, Alison Williams
Student Team: Hannah Aldous, Bradley Bush, Stanislav Duris, Elliot Fletcher, Aiden McCall, Lauren Richards
Abstract Many subjects across the University are challenged by students who struggle with an unexpectedly high level of assumed mathematical proficiency in their courses. This project has built a significant bank of formative mathematical tests using the Numbas assessment system, which can be used both as a diagnostic tool and for student-led learning.
This project was made possible by Newcastle University’s ULTSEC Innovation Fund. Thank you to everyone involved in the
project. We are grateful for the help of the Careers Service in recruiting our student team.
Motivation Mathematics or statistics forms a part of many degree programmes across our University. This is often reflected in entry requirements, however the background of incoming students can vary dramatically. Subjects such as Biology, Chemistry and Psychology list mathematics as one of a selection of preferred A-levels, but otherwise accept applicants with grade B at GCSE (or equivalent). Other subjects, such as Computer Science, Geography, Marketing and Architecture, typically ask for grade B or C at GCSE and later contain mathematical content. Business Management students, for example, take a core module introducing fairly sophisticated quantitative techniques in their first year.
This project tackles this challenge by providing resources which can be used to help to diagnose mathematical ability, and to offer practice to students that is both extensive and engaging.
Setting up the project Six undergraduate students took part in the project. We first asked project partners and other interested parties to help to identify topics for which a firm foundation is required, in order to succeed in their degree programme. The outcome was largely GCSE-level material, with some selected topics from the A-Level syllabus.
After taking part in some training in the e-assessment system Numbas, the team set about creating material accordingly.
Collaboration and student feedback The student team made great use of the project management tool Trello, which allowed check-lists to be created and work to be assigned. The students also took a more traditional approach, using sticky notes to organise their workload. Students enjoyed working in a professional environment, though were a little frustrated by our exacting standards (!), such that the Numbas Ready to Use label was a rare reward! We were particularly impressed by the quality with which the students peer-reviewed their colleagues’ work.
The project was a great experience. It allowed us all to work in a professional environment and get a taste of how much work goes into making the questions that we are assessed on.
Over to you! Add the ‘Transition to university’ material to your Blackboard module in just steps!
Watch our how to video and find out
more information on the LTDS Blog:
blogs.ncl.ac.uk/ltdev/
Newcastle University module
leaders can add content to Blackboard in 3 easy steps. From the menu,
select Assessments and then Numbas - LTI.
Fill out the familiar Blackboard item options
for title, description, display dates etc. Then simply click Submit and
Launch to open the Numbas tool interface.
2In the Select a ready-
made exam box, choose ’Transition to university’, pick a test and click Use this. Hey presto, you’ve
got a Numbas test in your Blackboard module.
1 33
Numbas is a mathematical e-assessment system developed in the School of Mathematics, Statistics & Physics. The system is perfect for maths testing, but can be applied to many different subjects.
Numbas questions can assess numerical answers, algebraic expressions, MCQ and more, and can display interactive diagramsand graphs. Questions can be randomised, with instant feedback and full solutions, offering a powerful opportunity for students to practise and perfect!
Numbas is open source and used around the world, with a public database of ready-to-use resources, and is used here at Newcastle for everything from diagnostic tests to final exams.
More information: numbas.org.uk [email protected]
Clockwise L-R: The Newcastle
University Academic Skills Kit
Website; an example test on
calculating volume; and the
Transition to university project on the Numbas public editor.
The content was split into questions, each one designed to assess a particular skill. These are designed to be engaging and offer rich feedback, so as well as the question text, students helped to create images, dynamic graphs, videos and full solutions to the questions, each one of which is randomised, so that students can click a button to create a new, similar question, offering endless practice. The questions were later merged into around thirty tests, each one covering a specific topic.
L-R: Sticky notes, used by the students to keep track of which questions had been checked; the
prestigious ‘ready to use’ tag; and the project management tool Trello (trello.com).
What next? A recent post on the LTDS Blog highlights the ease with which Numbas tests can be placed into a Blackboard content folder. This can be used for formative practice, but also records scores, so can be appropriate for diagnostic and summative tests too. Several follow-up projects across the three faculties are planned for 2018/19, to embed the material into degree programmes or modules.
Given the content of the tests, we hope to use the material in outreach and recruitment projects. The material is already being integrated into a distance learning pre-entry course in mathematics for non-standard applicants to the University.
”“
