Innovative Teaching

1. Innovative Teaching Dr Carol Robinson Director Mathematics Education Centre

2. Overview • Background • Teaching Innovations • Electronic voting systems • Recording lectures • Motivating students • Role of Programme Reps • Future Aspirations

3. Background - me • Mathematician • University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Nottingham University Birmingham Polytechnic Open University • Director, Mathematics Education Centre

4. Mathematics Education Centre • Established in 2002 • Mathematics Learning Support Centre • Teaching of mathematics to engineering undergraduates • Track record of innovation • Research in teaching and learning of Mathematics in HE

5. Use of New Technologies • Electronic Voting Systems Handset and dongle

6. Electronic Voting Systems - Literature • The single, most important benefit of EVS use, identified from literature review, is its capacity to enhance, catalyse or increase student engagement during lectures. (Cue (1998) , Hake (1998))

7. I have used voting systems at Loughborough University • Yes • No

8. My birthday lies in the months • Sept – March • April – August

9. The value of 7 – 3 x 4 + 6 is • 40 • 1 • 22 • -11 • Don’t know

11. Benefits - Students • 80% of students said they found EVS ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’. 15% were neutral 5% found EVS either ‘not at all useful’ or ‘not very useful’. • Importance of feedback highlighted in table. • (King, S.O. and Robinson (2009))

12. Research Findings - Staff Key Requirements for Effective Use • The selection and use of good questions with appropriate distractors • Allocation of adequate time for student response and/or subsequent discussion • Need to use EVS for stimulating thought and reflection and not just to test memory • Not overusing the technology (King, S.O. et al. 2008)

13. Questions seeking opinions

14. 0 Courts should only be used as a last resort? • Agree • Disagree • Don’t know K.Pond

15. 0 Where a bank is owed a debt by a customer who has failed to repay it the bank should ALWAYS sue via the courts • I strongly agree • I agree • I am neutral • I disagree • I strongly disagree K.Pond

16. Questions involving Calculations

17. Students given sketch below and then required to find the function f(t). C.Robinson

18. 1. 2. 3. 4. 6. 5. Don’t know None of the above The given triangular wave can be represented by • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 C.Robinson

19. What are the advantages of the handset technology? Select the THREE most important to you • Kept me awake • Made me think • Lecture didn’t drag • Tested my knowledge • Helped me to understand • Made me participate K.Pond

20. Tablet PCs • Audio Recording and Web Delivery

21. Tablet PCs • Mimio screen capture software (Dr Joe Ward)

22. Podcasts

23. New Technologies in Teaching - Feedback • Student Feedback • “.. the lectures were interactive helping with concentration and focus. • “Lecture notes and commentary online was extremely helpful for revision purposes” • “The ability to look through the actual notes on line is amazing, this means we can concentrate more on what is being said, rather than having to write it all down”

24. Complementary Research • Key aims • To develop pedagogic research to underpin teaching and learning activities • To identify and promote evidence-based practice • Research questions • What is the impact of new technologies on teaching and learning? • Is student learning & understanding enhanced?

25. Motivating Students - Teaching Mathematics in Context • Loughborough Univ. • Top sports scholars • Study sports related courses • Introduced sports- based Mathematics projects

26. Sports-based Projects

27. Role of Programme Representatives • What can you do? • You can drive change • Ask questions • Raise awareness of issues • Introduction of higher fees – demands from students • Staff will listen to feedback from staff-student committees and programme reps

28. Future Aspirations • Best student experience – in the lecture hall and outwith • Both staff and students have a role to play • Student charter