The Maths Café at Brunel Dr. Inna Namestnikova
The Maths Café 2008 & 2010 • Room dressed in café style • It really was a café with FREE drinks and snacks all the time
Advertising, advertising, advertising • Gate crashing lectures • Web page and Electronic banner as they log in • Emails and VLE announcements • Leaflets to key people in Schools, Library, Disability Office etc • Plasma screens • Huge banners on windows throughout the Café • Maths Café paper used throughout
Staff • 2 tutors at all times = 6 to 8 staff needed – Two full-time staff – Two part-time staff – Two postgrads – One administrator to collect data • Need more staff that can handle stats teaching!
Paper resources (50 copies of each)
Café in action with two tutors and being used simply as a learning space where help is available if needed.
Number of bstudents Number of Students 76 Monday … 22 37 Tuesday … 17 23 Never a dull moment! Wednesd… 45 44 44 39 44 Thursday … Friday 18th 25 Monday … 33 30 Tuesday … 44 15 Wednesd… 35 2009 17 Thursday … 50 Friday 25th 37 2008 38 39 40 37 52 24 30 17 10 2010 14
Distribution of students through the day week 1 week 2 84 81 67 41 28 10:00-13:30 13:30-16:00 16:00-18:30
Gender reflects student cohorts
Who attended?
Distribution of students by level
Requested topics
School of Engineering and Design 8.14% past exam papers Other 1.16% mechanics 1.16% complex numbers graph theory 1.16% 1.16% probability general 2.33% general numerical integration 2.33% Calculus 13.95% integration stationary points 2.33% 12.79% differentiation 1.16% composite functions Partial fractions 5.81% 2.33% LU decomposition Gauss elimination 2.33% 4.65% eigenvectors and eigenvalues 1.16% vector algebra matrices 8.14% 2.33% general 6.98% binomial expansion Algebra 3.49% inequalities 4.65% trigonometry solving equation 1.16% 2.33% exponential and logarithms functions 2.33% completing the square quadratic function 2.33% 1.16% separation of variables rearranging formula 1.16%
Was it worth it? Students’ perceptions • Thank you for your support • It was too good – no need for improvements • Explanations given were very good • Very knowledgeable and understanding teachers • I was amazed at the level of support that was given to me. • Friendly and helpful
Was it worth it? Exam results Quandary: does the Maths Café help students pass or do good students attend the Maths Café to become better?
Summing up • Maths Cafe in Brunel was a successful initiative partly funding by LH. • The experience gained from running Maths Café was beneficial in designing a more integrated approach to support students in subsequent academic years. • We received very positive feedback from students, they found the support and help useful and sufficient.
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