Learning and Teaching Strategy update 2008
Faculty of Information and Mathematical Sciences
Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching): Quintin Cutts (quintin@dcs.gla.ac.uk)
Title of case study: Mathematics Skills/Diagnostic Testing
Keywords: assessment, retention, feedback
Description
Many students arrive at University with less than an A in their Mathematics school
qualifications. While this may be enough for them to gain entry to the University, it inevitably
means that there are some aspects of the Maths we expect them to know that they do not
know. Analysis of degree exams in Mathematics Level 1 courses shows that many students
are not able to demonstrate what they know of the Level 1 syllabus because of weaknesses
in the school maths they need to use to demonstrate this knowledge effectively.
The skills/diagnostic test aims to highlight for the students exactly what they need to improve.
It consists of a large bank of multiple choice questions. All students who want to go into
Level 2 must take and pass the test, leading to a very high uptake among the c. 450 students
in Level 1 Maths. They can sit the test as many times as they like, each time receiving a
different test. The Department provides drop-in sessions to enable students to practise their
maths and fix their misunderstandings.
The scheme has been running for only a year so far, and the quality of the questions is
sufficient to highlight quite clearly where the students’ gaps in knowledge are. This is an
excellent foundation for the students’ further study.
Conclusion
This is a major on-going project. The presentation and follow-up of the Test is being
adjusted this year in the light of feedback, and the Faculty has made a major investment of a
University Teacher post for the next three years to work on the support of students identified
as possibly at-risk. The skills test excellently identifies these students, and the UT will be
improving the support system to ensure that such students do effectively fix up their
misunderstandings. The scheme of Diagnostic Testing is being moved across to Computing
Science also – so that misunderstandings can be very accurately identified there too, and
used in conjunction with their so-called Accelerator PAL schemes to rapidly correct
misunderstandings.