Using Valsiner

Students develop within rich, complex cultural community settings involving teachers and the environmental surrounds. To investigate the multiple perspectives in such a teaching and learning setting a suitable framework incorporating sociocultural practices is needed. The developmental works of Valsiner are proposed here which, it will be argued, assists in the identification and analysis of developmental issues. The application of the theoretical framework presented in this paper is exemplified in the development of numeracy in a 1st year nursing progra

Students using digital technologies to produce screencasts that support learning in mathematics

This paper reports on research of student produced screencasts to support learning. Participants in a Mathematics for Teachers course were asked to create and peer critique screencasts to explain concepts (year 4 to 9 level). They were also asked about their experience with screencasting and its impact on their own teaching and learning. This paper will discuss preliminary results of a pre-survey and highlight features of initial screencasts and their critiques. The paper concludes with an outline of future directions

Understanding student experiences in university learning centres

This paper discusses a conceptual framework, based on Valsiner's human development theory, to assist in the identification and analysis of learning change issues. Learning change is particularly important in a student's first year and often observed in Learning Centres. The hub of this framework is analysing micro-processes made explicit by a sequence of student actions within a rich field of stimuli. The paper argues that the theory provides a useful tool to investigate the way adult learners think and develop, which in turn enhances educational practice in the context of Learning Centres at university

Examining undergraduate student retention in mathematics using network analysis and relative risk

Higher education faces challenges in retaining students who require a command of numeracy in their chosen field of study. This study applies an innovative combination of relative risk and social network analysis to enrolment data of a single cohort of commencing students from an Australian regional university. Relative risk, often used in epidemiology studies, is used to strategically investigate whether first year mathematics subjects at the university demonstrated a higher risk of attrition when compared to other subjects offered in the first year of study. The network analysis is used to illustrate the connections of those mathematics subjects, identifying service subjects through their multiple connections. The analysis revealed that attrition rates for eight of the nine subjects were within acceptable limits, and this included identified service subjects. The exception highlighted the issue of mathematics competencies in this cohort. This combined analytical technique is proposed as appropriate for use when investigating attrition and retention at faculty and institutional levels, including the determination of levels of intervention and support for any subject

Face-to-face and virtual mathematics enrichment for rural schools: intersection of teachers, students, technology and pedagogy

In this paper the authors report on the University of Southern Queensland’s (USQ) Mathematics Rural and Regional Communities (MRRC) project. This project is an extension to the Mathematics Enrichment Program (MEP), which has been running since 2007. Since the MEP’s inception, more than 500 students, 29 schools, 15 pre-service teachers (who are involved to gain practical teaching experience) and many volunteer university lecturers and other mathematics and education professionals have been involved. The MRRC project builds on USQ’s MEP to offer content in an online or virtual format. Through an interactive virtual environment, the MRRC project connects regional high schools to USQ’s two campuses to build the capacity of the teachers and students involved. The authors describe the overall aim and structure of the MRRC program, preliminary evaluations of the program, analysis of the virtual space and future plans for the program

Creating words in mathematics

INTRODUCTION: A National Numeracy Report (COAG, 2008) and the Australian Curriculum (2014) have recognised the importance of language in mathematics. The general capabilities contained within the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (2014) highlight literacy as an important tool in the teaching and learning of mathematics, from the interpretation of word problems to the discussion of mathematics in the classroom. The nationally commissioned National Numeracy Report (COAG, 2008), recommended that the language and literacies of mathematics be explicitly taught since language can be a significant barrier to understanding mathematics. As teachers routinely assess students’ understanding of mathematics through literacy (often through reading and writing), students may struggle to understand the mathematics because they have specific language difficulties associated with assessment tasks set. Chapter 2 of the National Numeracy Review Report (COAG, 2008) highlights the role of language in mathematics learning, and identifies a number of features of language that can have an impact on understanding mathematics. These include: 1. The mathematics register: the words, phrases and associated meanings used to express mathematical ideas (Halliday, 1978). This includes the etymology of the words of mathematics as well as the syntax, semantics, orthography and phonology of the language itself and its impact on understanding mathematics (Galligan, 2001). 2. Language in the classroom: the use of language by teachers to communicate ideas and the dialogue used by students to communicate and learn mathematics (Leung, 2005; Sullivan, 2011; Walshaw & Anthony, 2008). This language use is particularly difficult for English language learners (Adoniou & Yi, 2014). 3. Technical communication: the accepted standard use of language and symbols to communicate mathematical ideas, both orally and in written form. There are Australian Standards on how to write much of the quantitative information in scientific and technical reports, and also in trade and industry (Australian Government, n.d.). This article focuses on one part of the first feature; that is, words in mathematics, their derivation and meaning

Cancer Surveillance and Outreach in Carlisle, Massachusetts: An Analysis of MDPH Cancer and Environmental Health Data in a Small Town Context

Introduction: The Carlisle Board of Health (BOH) sought to understand how cancer affects its town (population under 5,000), using data on expected and observed cancer incidence provided by the Massachusetts Cancer Registry (MCR). This project examined cancer incidence data summarized by city/town in five-year intervals, evaluated demographic and environmental factors that could contribute to cancer, and provided recommendations for cancer outreach. Methods: MCR city/town reports from 1995-2009 were examined to identify community cancer trends. A literature review focused on cancers of concern to guide outreach efforts. Data on contributing environmental exposures and health behaviors were explored to identify potential risk factors in Carlisle. Individual- and community-level recommendations were issued based on the data and literature. Results: Observed cases of breast cancer and melanoma in women and colorectal cancer and prostate cancer in men exceeded the number of expected cases. Bladder cancer in men and lung cancer in men and women were somewhat lower than expected. There was insufficient evidence of causation by local environmental exposure. Discussion: Excess cancer cases in Carlisle cannot be interpreted as a cancer cluster. Individuals should be aware of important risk factors and control lifestyle-related factors for common types of cancer. The BOH can monitor data on potential environmental exposures and provide ongoing communication with Carlisle residents about cancer in the community through social media, the local newspaper, and town events. Broad educational outreach on specific risk factors, including sun exposure, arsenic in drinking water, and youth tobacco use should be considered to foster healthy behaviors

Reframing e-assessment: building professional nursing and academic attributes in a first year nursing course

This paper documents the relationships between pedagogy and e-assessment in two nursing courses offered at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. The courses are designed to build the academic, numeracy and technological attributes student nurses need if they are to succeed at university and in the nursing profession. The paper first outlines the management systems supporting the two courses and how they intersect with the e-learning and e-assessment components of course design. These pedagogical choices are then reviewed. While there are lessons to be learnt and improvements to be made, preliminary results suggest students and staff are extremely supportive of the courses. The e-assessment is very positively received with students reporting increased confidence and competency in numeracy, as well as IT, academic, research and communication skills

How are we progressing with academic numeracy at regional universities? Perspectives from first-year undergraduate studies

This study provides an overview of the support provided for academic numeracy for first-year students across six Australian regional universities. Survey analysis of university academics provided an overview of the approaches used in academic numeracy in diverse cohorts. Further investigations via semi-structured interviews and secondary data were performed, providing details of the level of academic numeracy required in the subjects offered, identification of at-risk students and strategies for student support, and student responses to service provision. A case study at one university provided a more detailed view of the factors influencing attrition in first-year academic numeracy subjects. This case study highlighted issues related to a one-size-fits-all approach and findings argue for a more nuanced cohort-based approach that combines conventional statistical analysis with analysis that provides a more detailed view of complex scenarios. The study suggests that while support services are not responding well to the issue of attrition, better targeting individual student support may lead to improvements. © 2020, Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Inc. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Nargiz Sultanova ” is provided in this record** Sultanova, Nargi

The R in the ELR Process: Reflection and the Emotions of PreService Teachers. A Case Study

Reflective practice in mathematical teaching improves teaching skills and confidence. This paper investigates affect-based critical moments as a reflective practice for pre-service teaching. An embedded case study is presented by one regional university as a discovery into the reflective phase of the Enhancement-Learning-Reflection process to uncover the types of emotions and themes from student chosen critical moments. An analysis of these critical moments found students’ expressed mainly positive emotions combined with the negative emotion of anxiety. Themes emerged around pedagogical content knowledge: teaching strategies; student thinking; and appropriate mathematical content knowledge