Rearranging equations: (concepts – misconceptions) × peer discussion

Transposition of formulae (also known as rearranging equations and changing the subject) is a skill vital for professionals in many fields of science and engineering. It is however a topic with which many students, and particularly students of weaker algebraic competency, struggle and often do not master sufficiently. This paper proposes an intervention strategy for improved teaching and learning of transposition of formulae at third level. The intervention aims to address three key issues thought to inhibit students’ understanding of the topic: (1) a lack of conceptual understanding of equations and equality, (2) prior misconceptions and (3) a fast paced learning environment that does not account for diversity in knowledge and aptitude. The strategy consists of three hour-long lesson plans that emphasise conceptual understanding while also dispelling the relevant misconceptions, using a peer discussion teaching model as a vehicle for consolidating and propagating the right concepts. To account for diversity in prior knowledge and aptitude an online tutorial on the topic of transposition has been developed using an online e-assessment platform that allows students to practice at their own pace and receive instant feedback as they progress

The Transposition Project: origins, context and early findings

Within the Department of Mathematics at Cork Institute of Technology and at a wider level across the institute, the topic of transposition or rearranging equations has repeatedly been flagged as one of the most problematic. The transposition project aims to understand the reasons for students difficulties and develop an effective intervention strategy

Teaching Maths in the Time of Covid: The Good, the Bad and Missing Factors.

This paper looks at the (emergency) remote delivery of mathematics versus a traditional face-to-face approach in the context of the third level education ecosystem. We then describe the approach to the delivery we took and examine the students’ response in terms of engagement, resource choices, experiences and preferences. Deficiencies and positive aspects of emergency remote delivery are also discussed

Non-mathematics undergraduates’ perceptions of mathematics and preferences for supporting digital learning resources in a technological university

Service mathematics plays a central role in Munster Technological University (MTU) where the majority of programmes contain at least one mathematics or statistics module. The widely acknowledged issue of low engagement continues to be a barrier to learning for many non-mathematics undergraduates and often results in low achievement which may impact progression. One of the main goals of the SPIRIT Maths project at MTU is to gain insights into learners’ perceptions and dispositions towards mathematics and use that acumen to inform the development of digital learning tools and future interventions. This paper presents some of the findings of a student survey that focused on students’ expectations of and the realities of experiencing mathematics at university, and their views on remote delivery and approaches to learning. The survey results show that many incoming students overestimate the difficulties of studying mathematics at university. The data also highlight how a significant proportion of respondents spend an inadequate amount of time on independent learning. We then consider the aspects of mathematics that learners find most discouraging, and what students report could help them to better engage with and learn mathematics. We also explore students’ preferences for digital learning resources ranging from videos of worked solutions to an online bank of practice questions with feedback