Study Skills in mathematics:
What can we do to help
students?
Lynn Ireland - Mathematics Tutor
Study Advice Services
University of Hull
Who am I?
• Mathematics tutor for Study Advice
Services
• From the basics up to degree level
• Separate from department
• One-to-one and group support
• Departmental workshops on demand
• Diagnostic testing
Types of customer
• Traditional/Mature
• Home/International
• Expecting to do maths/taken entirely by
surprise
Typical subjects: Biology, Business,
Computer Science, Education,
Engineering, Geography, Mathematics,
Nursing, Physics, Sports Science
Aim of session
• To look at how students study
mathematics based on survey results
• To look at how students can help
themselves to learn mathematics
• To see how we can help students learn
mathematics
Intro to HUBS and APS
• Hull University Business School- 2
campuses, 350 first years in Hull
• APS module, all first years, different
programmes. Tests maths, stats, study skills,
and ICT
• Maths diagnostic
• Maths is small component, easily avoidable
How was research conducted?
• 23 Questions asked
• Given to students attending 9:15 lecture
on a Monday
• 85 respondents out of a possible 350
Problems related to maths at
university - students’ opinions
“Run through the topics too fast.
No time for proper explanation”
“…the way I was taught was
very different, so I am confused”
“It’s been so long”
“Classes are too big to go at
right pace for those in it”
“There is little one on one help”
“Less practical application at Uni”
“…the lack of time is a disadvantage”
“It is assumed basics are known,
so they’re not covered here”
Revision advice
“Don’t overload yourself with information”
“Work through past papers”
“Attend all tutorials and lectures”
“Work through examples and if you don’t
understand something ask for help”
“Start revising during the semester”
“Learn all the equations and take a
calculator which you know how to use”
“Do as many exam questions as
Possible; every question is helpful”
Who would students turn to first?
• Maths help website e.g. BBC Bitesize (8)
• Fellow students (20)
• Their lecturer (6)
• Recommended text (25)
• Old notes from school/college (12)
• Study Advice maths tutor (3)
What other sources of help would
they try?
• Maths help website e.g. BBC Bitesize (22)
• Fellow students (37)
• Their lecturer (22)
• Recommended text (39)
• Old notes from school/college (28)
• Study Advice maths tutor (15)
Sources of help the students would
not be prepared to use
“He would probably be too busy to help”
Lecturer
Lecturer &
Study Advice
“Have a low opinion of you if you ask for help
and I may be embarrassed to ask”
“Don’t know how to get them &
don’t want to bother them”
“Everyone always seems in a rush”
General comments
“Never expected to be studying [maths] again”
“Got B for GCSE but haven’t studied
since then so all maths is daunting”
“Practising example questions is best.
And going over them”
“…subject should be taught in small groups
for better understanding of maths”
“It helps if there is a step by step plan printed about
how to go about solving mathematical problems”
“Maths doesn’t need lectures it needs tutorials;
that’s where you learn more about maths”
Expected results
• Majority of students had not studied maths
since age 16
• Confidence related to age of last study
• Mathematics felt to be harder at university
than at school/college
• Tutorials and small groups felt to be best
way to learn maths, not lectures
• Students unlikely to go to lecturer for help
Unexpected result
A number of students who considered
themselves to not be good at maths
stated that they enjoyed the subject
How is maths different from other
subjects
• Hard to read- can’t learn by reading alone
• Sitting in lectures is therefore not enough
• Need to learn and reproduce formulae
• Need to know how to use methods
• Tested mainly by exam
• Right answers and wrong answers, little
in-between
Common pitfalls in teaching maths
at university
• Students may not have learned the same
topics at school and college
• Students may not have retained a great
deal of the mathematics that they were
taught previously.
Good methods for studying maths
• Know what you know
• Use available resources
• Do set exercises before tutorials
• Make full use of tutorials
• Do work in order and at the right pace
• Make extra notes
• Write answers in full
Good methods for studying maths 2
• Work outside of classes
• Study with friends
• Take an organised approach to help
• Don’t wait for exam time to revise
• Give tough topics enough time
• If you make a mistake, try again
How tutors, lecturers & support
staff can help
• Alert students to sources of help
• Make use of support services
• Provide plenty of examples
• Include all lines of working in examples
• Encourage students to use estimation
• Make past papers readily available
How tutors, lecturers & support
staff can help 2
• Be aware that some students will not ask
for help
• Make it clear what notation means
• Make students aware of good study habits
dy
dx
y
y
How can we encourage students to
seek help with maths?
• Invite support staff into lectures
• Make it as simple as possible to make
appointments
• Offer departmental workshops
• Provide tailored materials
An exercise
•
•
•
•
Typical topics
Group discussion
What do students need to know
What errors could occur
Conclusions of exercise
• It may not be the current question that is
the problem, but some other topic that the
question builds on
• We need to find the exact point where the
student becomes stuck in order to be of
the most use
• It is important that we don’t lose students
at the ‘first hurdle’
Overall Conclusions
We need to:
• Encourage students to develop good study
habits
• Make it clear that help is available
• Provide sufficient materials for students to
use
For more information
• Study Advice booklet ‘Study Skills in
Mathematics’
• SAS website: www.hull.ac.uk/studyadvice
• My email: l.ireland@hull.ac.uk