Measuring the association between student performance and mathematics support

BACKGROUND Many universities in Australia provide learning support in mathematics and statistics in response to student needs. Western Sydney University (WSU) provides this via a centrally organised unit, the Mathematics Education Support Hub (MESH). In order for mathematics support to improve available support and to justify such support, the impacts on students’ performance should to be examined. AIMS We aim to understand the association between the use of mathematics support services and students’ performance. Students’ mathematical backgrounds, engagement level with the support services and performance data are studied with the aim of understanding the impact of the support. Outcomes from such research inform staff who can provide more targeted support and can be used to justify funding such support. DESIGN AND METHODS MESH obtained data on each student’s drop-in consultation and workshop attendance from a total of 3500 students and WSU recorded data for all students’ mathematical backgrounds and performance in their mathematics/statistics subjects from 2016-2018. Students were grouped according to their engagement level with the MESH services and mathematical backgrounds. Association between the engagement level and students’ performance is tested for at different levels of mathematical background. RESULTS Students’ level of engagement with MESH services is found to be associated with students’ performance. Students with poor mathematical backgrounds form the majority of the students who use MESH services. Of those who have poor mathematical backgrounds, engagement level is related to passing the unit. CONCLUSIONS Students who take advantage of learning support in mathematics and statistics range over all levels of abilities in mathematics. MESH tries to increase student success for all students. It is shown that learning support services can help students to improve their performance in mathematics and statistics regardless of their mathematical background

AN ONLINE MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS REFRESHER PROGRAM FOR THE COVID-19 ERA AND BEYOND

In February 2021, the Mathematics Education Support Hub at Western Sydney University delivered, for the first time, its long-established mathematics and statistics refresher program for commencing students wholly online. The process of completely replacing its face-to-face program with a series of online self-directed learning modules was complex, not least due to the constraints imposed by COVID-19. Planning and development started in October 2020, with a staged rebuilding of existing content in basic algebra, trigonometry, calculus and statistics. The aim was to achieve more than the mere construction of a digital ‘text book’ consisting of modularised sets of static files. The development was guided by design choices such as content chunking, use of video and interactive learning visualisations, and facilitation of self-checking via mastery quizzes (created using the mathematical e-assessment system Numbas). In this presentation, we shall discuss the pedagogical, curricular, and technical challenges that arose during the development of the online refresher program, and the steps taken to ensure the new learning modules were accessible and effective, together with an analysis of data collected during and after the running of the program (survey responses, learning resource interaction, quiz attempts and Zoom attendance)

The 13th Southern Hemisphere Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics

Ngā mihi aroha ki ngā tangata katoa and warm greetings to you all. Welcome to Herenga Delta 2021, the Thirteenth Southern Hemisphere Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics. It has been ten years since the Volcanic Delta Conference in Rotorua, and we are excited to have the Delta community return to Aotearoa New Zealand, if not in person, then by virtual means. Although the limits imposed by the pandemic mean that most of this year’s 2021 participants are unable to set foot in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, this has certainly not stopped interest in this event. Participants have been invited to draw on the concept of herenga, in Te Reo Māori usually a mooring place where people from afar come to share their knowledge and experiences. Although many of the participants are still some distance away, the submissions that have been sent in will continue to stimulate discussion on mathematics and statistics undergraduate education in the Delta tradition. The conference invited papers, abstracts and posters, working within the initial themes of Values and Variables. The range of submissions is diverse, and will provide participants with many opportunities to engage, discuss, and network with colleagues across the Delta community. The publications for this thirteenth Delta Conference include publications in the International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, iJMEST, (available at https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/tmes20/collections/Herenga-Delta-2021), the Conference Proceedings, and the Programme (which has created some interesting challenges around time-zones), by the Local Organizing Committee. Papers in the iJMEST issue and the Proceedings were peer reviewed by at least two reviewers per paper. Of the ten submissions to the Proceedings, three were accepted. We are pleased to now be at the business end of the conference and hope that this event will carry on the special atmosphere of the many Deltas which have preceded this one. We hope that you will enjoy this conference, the virtual and social experiences that accompany it, and take the opportunity to contribute to further enhancing mathematics and statistics undergraduate education. Ngā manaakitanga, Phil Kane (The University of Auckland | Waipapa Taumata Rau) on behalf of the Local Organising Committ

Examining students' interaction with mathematics consultation using text mining

There has always been a requirement for learning support in mathematics and statistics in tertiary education and the need for support in universities in Australia is increasing rapidly. Mathematics Education Support Hub at Western Sydney University provides support to students at the libraries in all campuses to increase their understanding, knowledge and abilities in numeracy, mathematics, statistics and assists all students regardless of program whether undergraduate or not. Team collects data on every consultation from the very beginning. This study examines tutor's explanations about the students' query on every consultation between 2013 and 2017 to work out the topics that students struggle the most and seek help during their degree. Useful information from the documents are extracted and processed by R as a text mining tool. Research showed that, interestingly but not surprisingly, the main topics where students seek help appears to be almost the same for all levels of study

Comparison of different performance measures of complex product systems in technology forecasting

Technology forecasting estimates the future value of characteristics and performance of a technology. Since technologies are embedded in products, different measures of these products can be used in technology forecasting. Two classes of data play a central role in technology forecasting studies. In the first class, publications and patents are commonly excepted measures as indicators of scientific and technological performance. The second class is the performance data of the “technology in use”. In this second type of data, performance is usually characterized by multiple parameters in a complex product system since these product systems are the aggregates of subsystems. Technological progress obtained by these two types of datasets may show different patterns. Also each parameter of the overall system may show different patterns. Authors claim that, in order to improve the quality of technology forecasts, both datasets should be studied. A multidimensional technology life cycle should be considered before taking managerial decisions. In this study an application of a refrigerator system has been performed to investigate the authors’ claim. Three types of datasets, patents from first type of dataset; coefficient of performance (COP) and electric efficiency index (EEI) from second type of dataset are used. Different life cycles and different scenarios of the same system are obtained using growth curves as a technology forecasting tool. Findings are discussed and the proposed model of using measures in technology forecasting is explained in detail

An analysis to investigate students' deficiency in tertiary mathematics and statistics

BACKGROUND: The Mathematics Education Support Hub (MESH) provides mathematics and statistics support to all students in a variety of ways, including drop-in assistance for students in six campus libraries. MESH keeps records of each consultation including a detailed explanation of the student’s query, the student’s year of study, ID, discipline, the subject that the question is about, approximate duration of the consultation and on which campus the consultation occurred. AIMS: The primary aim of the research presented is to analyse data collected from the drop-in support service to determine students’ mathematics support needs during their degree. This will allow MESH to identify and build resources to assist students with the most common problem areas. A secondary aim is to help academics to improve the curriculum to enhance students’ understanding in these areas for the relevant subjects

A bibliometric exploration of the evolution of 3D technology

The purpose of this paper is to use bibliometric analysis to forecast 3D TV technology. Forecasting emerging technologies and identifying the rate of diffusion of products based on these technologies is difficult because of lack of data. For this aim, ISI Web of Science publication database is searched and posed with findings appropriate S-curve is composed. Then technology life cycle of 3D TV technology is obtained and results are explained

The use of S curves in technology forecasting and its application on 3D tv technology

S-Curves are commonly used in technology forecasting. They show the paths of product performance in relation to time or investment in R&D. It is a useful tool to describe the inflection points and the limit of improvement of a technology. Companies use this information to base their innovation strategies. However inadequate use and some limitations of this technique lead to problems in decision making. In this paper first technology forecasting and its importance for company level strategies will be discussed. Secondly the S-Curve and its place among other forecasting techniques will be introduced. Thirdly its use in technology forecasting will be discussed based on its advantages, disadvantages and limitations. Finally an application of S-curve on 3D TV technology using patent data will also be presented and the results will be discussed

A comparative statistical analysis between teachers' and undergraduate students' perceptions of teaching and learning mathematics

Students’ perceptions and teachers expectations in teaching, usually contradicts in reality. This study aims to test this hypothesis by specially designed survey conducted to undergraduate service mathematics courses. Unfortunately, during their first year at university, a lack of awareness of the importance of math courses in their academic and professional life, diminish students’ motivation. Similarly, teachers cannot find any time to attract students’ attention and increase their motivation in densely designed syllabus, especially in service courses. By the end of the term, two surveys have been conducted to students who are enrolled in math service courses and to teaching staff. A comparative analysis have been done for mandatory Math1 and Math2 courses among all departments with a total of 1200 students and lecturers in Istanbul Technical University (ITU), which is one of the top universities in Turkey. Differences between students’ and lecturers’ perspectives in the methodology, aim and perceptions have been clearly shown up. Results are important in order to improve teachers’ lecturing strategies and increase students’ motivation for producing the best possible outcomes in mathematics

Developing logistics indices for Turkey as an indicator of economic activity

Investment and financing decisions are influenced by various economic features. Detailed analysis should be conducted in order to make decisions not only by companies but also by governments. Such analysis can be conducted either at the company level or on a sectoral basis to reduce risks and to maximize profits. Sectoral disaggregation caused by seasonality effects, subventions, data advantages or disadvantages may appear in sectors behaving parallel to BIST (Borsa Istanbul stock exchange) Index. Proposed logistic indices could serve market needs as a decision parameter in sectoral basis and also helps forecasting activities in import export volume changes. Also it is an indicator of logistic activity, which is also a sign of economic mobility at the national level. Publicly available data from “Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications” and “Turkish Statistical Institute” is utilized to obtain five logistics indices namely as; exLogistic, imLogistic, fLogistic, dLogistic and cLogistic index. Then, efficiency and reliability of these indices are tested