UK Engineering Students’ Knowledge of Mechanics on Entry: Has it all gone?

1. UK Engineering Students’ Knowledge of Mechanics on Entry: Has it all gone? Stephen Lee Martin Harrison Carol Robinson

2. Overview • Background • Schools’ Perspective • Questionnaire – Schools • Undergraduates’ Experiences • Questionnaire – Students • Diagnostic Mechanics Test • Summary • Conclusions and Implications

3. Background • Awareness of ‘Maths Problem’ • Appropriate Techniques: • Diagnostic Testing • Follow-up Support • Is there a Mechanics Problem? • UK Universities assume mechanics studied at school

4. Background - Changes • Changes in Post-16 Qualifications in 2000, including mathematics • Curriculum 2000 (Mathematics) • 2 or 3 applied modules (need not include mechanics) • September (2004) • 2 applied modules

5. Schools’ Perspective • Questionnaire: To ascertain availability and uptake of mechanics modules • January 2004 • Posted to 500 ‘schools’ (18%) • 242 replies • 13,754 AS/A2-level maths students

6. Schools’ Perspective • Availability of applied modules

7. Schools’ Perspective • Uptake of applied modules

8. Undergraduates’ Experiences • Questionnaire: To ascertain number of A-level mechanics modules studied • Target groups • Engineering, physics, maths • October 2003 and 2004

9. Undergraduates’ Experiences • Results – maths/phys/eng students

10. Undergraduates’ Experiences

11. Diagnostic Mechanics Test • To ascertain knowledge base of students • Questions from M1 and M2 syllabus + common misconceptions • Oct 2004 – 451 engineering students at LU

12. Diagnostic Mechanics Test • Sample Question: (Savage - Mechanics in Action) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

13. Diagnostic Mechanics Test

14. Diagnostic Mechanics Test • Analysis • Overall high average – 70% • M1 questions answered better than M2 • Students from engineering departments with high entry requirements scored better

15. Summary (i) • Schools • 5% offer no mechanics • 26% offer at most M1 • 43% of all pupils study M1 (not necessarily engineers)

16. Summary (ii) • LU engineers • Approx 8% have studied no mech modules • Approx 30% have studied at most M1 • Diagnostic test • Correlation with number of mechanics modules studied

17. Conclusions • Large numbers of students’ entering with little or no knowledge of mechanics • Need to know just what knowledge students have: • Questionnaire • Diagnostic Mechanics Test

18. Implications • Worldwide • Need to monitor changes to pre-university qualifications and respond accordingly • In UK: • From 2006 entry, students will have studied even less mechanics • Onus on universities to adapt to their continually changing intake • Widening participation

19. Answer UK Engineering Students’ Knowledge of Mechanics on Entry: Has it all gone? No! BUT A significant number of students are entering with little or no knowledge of mechanics

20. Contact Details Stephen Lee Mathematics Education Centre Loughborough University Leicestershire LE11 3TU S.Lee2@lboro.ac.uk http://mec.lboro.ac.uk

22. Syllabi M1/M2 OCR • M1 (2637) • Force as a vector • Equilibrium of a particle • Newton’s Laws of motion • Linear momentum • Kinematics of motion in a straight line • M2 (2638) • Centre of mass • Equilibrium of a rigid body • Motion of a projectile • Uniform motion in a circle • Coefficient of restitution and impulse • Energy, work and power

23. Syllabi M3/M4 OCR • M3 (2639) • Equilibrium of rigid bodies in contact • Elastic strings and springs • Impulse and momentum in two dimensions • Motion in a vertical circle • Linear motion under a variable force • Simple Harmonic Motion • M4 (2640) • Relative motion • Centre of mass • Moment of inertia • Rotation of a rigid body • Stability and oscillations