Mathematics support—support for all?

Mathematics Support Centres are to be found in various forms in the majority of UK higher education institutions. They have been established in order to ease widespread and serious difficulties that a significant number of students have with mathematics, particularly at the school–university transition. They usually offer mathematics and/or statistics support to students across the full range of disciplines studied. Anecdotal evidence suggests that those students who make good use of such centres are not just those who struggle with mathematics. Many frequent users are quite competent and simply want to do better. The study reported here describes and analyses data from one cohort of engineering students. A novel aspect is the quantification of the proportion of support centre visitors who fall into these, and other, categories. We conclude of the cohort in the study, mathematics support has improved the pass rate by ∼3%. Of the failures, about half (∼4% of the sample total) could well have passed had they attended the mathematics support centre regularly. Furthermore, the majority of those attending were not students who were in danger of failing. This has important implications not only for the design of mathematics support provision, but also for the performance of the high fliers. The methodology offers one way tackling the difficult task of evaluating the effectiveness of mathematics support initiatives

The Mathematics Learning Support Centre at Loughborough University: staff and student perceptions of mathematical difficulties

From a census of academic and academic related staff in the School of Mathematics at Loughborough University, most of whom work in the Mathematics Learning Support Centre, and a survey of the students who frequently use this facility we investigate the difficulties that are encountered with mathematics and the growing need for support with this subject. This paper reports the raw data results obtained from a selection of the questions that were posed. Responses were obtained from 29 mathematics staff and 37 students from mathematics, engineering and physics departments. We detail findings from the questions pertaining to perceptions of pre-knowledge, areas of difficulty and reasons for using the Centre. The results show that in some cases the opinions and perceptions of staff and students are almost diametrically opposite and in some cases students are unaware that the difficulties they are experiencing stem from a lack of fluency in areas of basic mathematics. What is also shown is that staff need to be aware of the mathematical content contained in the wide range of qualifications that students may enter university with. These findings have important consequences for those involved with mathematics education in the Higher Education sector and will also prove informative for universities who provide similar support

Predicting performance of 1st year engineering students and the importance of assessment tools therein

In recent years, the increase in the number of people entering university has contributed to a greater variability in the background of those beginning programmes. Consequently, it has become even more important to understand a student’s prior knowledge of a given subject. Two main reasons for this are to produce a suitable first year curriculum and to ascertain whether a student would benefit from additional support. Therefore, in order that any necessary steps can be taken to improve a student’s performance, the ultimate goal would be the ability to predict future performance. A continuing change in students’ prior mathematics (and mechanics) knowledge is being seen in engineering, a subject that requires a significant amount of mathematics knowledge. This paper describes statistical regression models used for predicting students’ first year performance. Results from these models highlight that a mathematics diagnostic test is not only useful for gaining information on a student’s prior knowledge but is also one of the best predictors of future performance. In the models, it was also found that students’ marks could be improved by seeking help in the university’s mathematics learning support centre. Tools and methodologies (e.g. surveys and diagnostic tests) suitable for obtaining data used in the regression models are also discussed

Feasibility and Coverage of Implementing Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnant women Contacting Private or Public Clinics in Tanzania: Experience-based Viewpoints of Health Managers in Mkuranga and Mufindi districts.

Evidence on healthcare managers' experience on operational feasibility of malaria intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) using sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in Africa is systematically inadequate. This paper elucidates the perspectives of District Council Health Management Team (CHMT)s regarding the feasibility of IPTp with SP strategy, including its acceptability and ability of district health care systems to cope with the contemporary and potential challenges. The study was conducted in Mkuranga and Mufindi districts. Data were collected between November 2005 and December 2007, involving focus group discussion (FGD) with Mufindi CHMT and in-depth interviews were conducted with few CHMT members in Mkuranga where it was difficult to summon all members for FGD. Participants in both districts acknowledged the IPTp strategy, considering the seriousness of malaria in pregnancy problem; government allocation of funds to support healthcare staff training programmes in focused antenatal care (fANC) issues, procuring essential drugs distributed to districts, staff remuneration, distribution of fANC guidelines, and administrative activities performed by CHMTs. The identified weaknesses include late arrival of funds from central level weakening CHMT's performance in health supervision, organising outreach clinics, distributing essential supplies, and delivery of IPTp services. Participants anticipated the public losing confidence in SP for IPTp after government announced artemither-lumefantrine (ALu) as the new first-line drug for uncomplicated malaria replacing SP. Role of private healthcare staff in IPTp services was acknowledged cautiously because CHMTs rarely supplied private clinics with SP for free delivery in fear that clients would be required to pay for the SP contrary to government policy. In Mufindi, the District Council showed a strong political support by supplementing ANC clinics with bottled water; in Mkuranga such support was not experienced. A combination of health facility understaffing, water scarcity and staff non-adherence to directly observed therapy instructions forced healthcare staff to allow clients to take SP at home. Need for investigating in improving adherence to IPTp administration was emphasised. High acceptability of the IPTp strategy at district level is meaningless unless necessary support is assured in terms of number, skills and motivation of caregivers and availability of essential supplies

Psychosocial, Behavioural and Health System Barriers to Delivery and Uptake of Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy in Tanzania - Viewpoints of Service Providers in Mkuranga and Mufindi Districts.

Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) using sulphurdoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is one of key malaria control strategies in Africa. Yet, IPTp coverage rates across Africa are still low due to several demand and supply constraints. Many countries implement the IPTp-SP strategy at antenatal care (ANC) clinics. This paper reports from a study on the knowledge and experience of health workers (HWs) at ANC clinics regarding psychosocial, behavioural and health system barriers to IPTp-SP delivery and uptake in Tanzania. Data were collected through questionnaire-based interviews with 78 HWs at 28 ANC clinics supplemented with informal discussions with current and recent ANC users in Mkuranga and Mufindi districts. Qualitative data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Quantitative data derived from interviews with HWs were analysed using non-parametric statistical analysis. The majority of interviewed HWs were aware of the IPTp-SP strategy's existence and of the recommended one month spacing of administration of SP doses. Some HWs were unsure of that it is not recommended to administer IPTp-SP and ferrous/folic acid concurrently. Others were administering three doses of SP per client following instruction from a non-governmental agency while believing that this was in conflict with national guidelines. About half of HWs did not find it appropriate for the government to recommend private ANC providers to provide IPTp-SP free of charge since doing so forces private providers to recover the costs elsewhere. HWs noted that pregnant women often register at clinics late and some do not comply with the regularity of appointments for revisits, hence miss IPTp and other ANC services. HWs also noted some amplified rumours among clients regarding health risks and treatment failures of SP used during pregnancy, and together with clients' disappointment with waiting times and the sharing of cups at ANC clinics for SP, limit the uptake of IPTp-doses. HWs still question SP's treatment advantages and are confused about policy ambiguity on the recommended number of IPTp-SP doses and other IPTp-SP related guidelines. IPTp-SP uptake is further constrained by pregnant women's perceived health risks of taking SP and of poor service quality

How to measure the quality of the OSCE: A review of metrics – AMEE guide no. 49

With an increasing use of criterion-based assessment techniques in both undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare programmes, there is a consequent need to ensure the quality and rigour of these assessments. The obvious question for those responsible for delivering assessment is how is this 'quality' measured, and what mechanisms might there be that allow improvements in assessment quality over time to be demonstrated? Whilst a small base of literature exists, few papers give more than one or two metrics as measures of quality in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). In this guide, aimed at assessment practitioners, the authors aim to review the metrics that are available for measuring quality and indicate how a rounded picture of OSCE assessment quality may be constructed by using a variety of such measures, and also to consider which characteristics of the OSCE are appropriately judged by which measure(s). The authors will discuss the quality issues both at the individual station level and across the complete clinical assessment as a whole, using a series of 'worked examples' drawn from OSCE data sets from the authors' institution